What keeps us still longing to do the things of the past?
What keeps us stuck in the pit of our sin and shame? The answer can be found tucked away in Ezekiel 36; a stony heart. Better known as a “hard heart.” We all know someone with a hard heart. Maybe it’s us. Thankfully, through the power of Jesus Christ, even the hardest of hearts can be changed. All too often, we get stuck in the mindset that God cannot use us because of our sin. God is not looking for perfection; He is simply looking for change. God can reach you right where you are, even in the pit of sin. But, He will not allow you to stay there. Yes, He will meet you in your self-righteousness, depression, oppression; whatever sin you are engaged in, but He doesn’t put up with sin so that we can stay where we are. He meets us where we are in order to move us away from our sin.
On the day of Pentecost God produced a power in all believers. This is the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. When our hearts are hardened, we can hear the Word, receive it, and rejoice in it for a time, but we are unable to fully accept it. This hardness leads to the return of past behaviors. We must allow God to take our hardened hearts and replace them with soft, receptive hearts.
Allow God to give you a new heart by developing regular times of prayer, reading the Word, and fasting. This is how the Word takes root and develops. It’s the Word that breaks up the hardness of our hearts.
Jesus is here to help cultivate the time of prayer and meditation and thereby removing your heart of stone. The Word says that God has come that we might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) God wants you to be blessed. But it can only happen through the power of the Holy Ghost and the power of the Holy Ghost is developed when we read and meditate on the Word.
As Always, we’re saving you a seat at Community Family Church
Pastor Tom
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