31 July | EVERYONE
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." Ezekiel 36: 26,27
Israel never ceased to believe in God's precepts. They tried hard to keep them, but they failed. And from so much failure, they invented a mountain of little laws to give the impression that they were deeply religious. But when Jesus came into the world, He quoted Isaiah, ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8).
Hypocrisy is a flaw that eats away at the virtues of the soul. There is no worse experience than believing in certain values and not living them. The heart becomes accustomed to falsehood and hardens into a piece of stone. But in today's text, the Lord promises to give His people a new heart.
Israel and we need to understand that no matter how hard we try, we can never walk in God's ways. “The idea that it is necessary only to develop the good that exists in man by nature, is a fatal deception” (Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 18). We need to rely solely on God and His grace. That means coming to Him like a helpless child and hiding ourselves in His loving arms so that He may live in us; it is something we cannot do on our own.
Our greatest need is to recognize that we cannot, but that God can. It is not enough to appear pious. It is not enough to obey simply because someone is watching us. It is about walking in God's ways because divine values have become part of one's life.
God's people in Ezekiel's day needed a new heart capable of trusting in grace. Today, we need the same. May God's law cease to be a mere doctrine and become part of our experience.
Take Action
Have you already asked God for a heart of flesh? One that is sensitive to the needs of others, and docile to the teachings of our loving Father. Sing "A New Heart" (if possible, with your family).