Ezekiel 11:19 June 7, 2013

Sarah Whitley

Ezekiel 11:19

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh."

Ezekiel, the prophet, delivers a message of hope to his fellow exiles in Babylon. He reminds the people that even though they have been living in exile, God has been with them, has been their sanctuary. Therefore, he gives them a word of hope. God promises to return them to Jerusalem but a fundamental change must occur in them before the future can be bright with hope. God will accomplish this thing in them. He will remove their hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh; heart s that are undivided in their commitment and loyalty and spirits that a re new.

God promises transformation. As we move through the transition period that is facing our church right now, might we allow God to give us new hearts and new spirits? As we reassess who we are, where God wants us to go, and who will lead us as a church, could we make that same assessment of ourselves as individuals? Will we allow God to transform our hearts and spirits so that each of us becomes the loving person he/she was created to be? Only God can transform our hearts and spirits, but it is up to us to accept the new heart and new spirit. The bright hope and future of our church depends in large part on whether or not each of us is willing to undergo the transformation of receiving a new heart and a new spirit for this new day in our church.

Almighty God, help us to let go of our self-centered agendas and accept the new heart and new spirit you offer us. Help us to love you and each other in order to help bring about the bright hope of the future of this church. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.