A New Heart

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”  Ezekiel 36v26 (NIV)

While watching a film recently, the Bible verse Ezekiel 36v26 was quoted by a friend to a wife whose husband was opposed to her faith.  She took it up as a constant prayer for him.  The verse made a strong impression on me, lingering in my thoughts, so I spent several days exploring it in various Bible translations.  Along the way, I discovered another related verse, Ezekiel 11v19, and appreciated how the Amplified Bible Classic offered a deeper interpretation.

“And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God]”

My thoughts often drift in different directions, and I started noticing parallels between the presence of sin in my heart and the physical damage to my actual heart.  Having Rheumatic Fever during childhood affected one of my heart valves.  Though there were no obvious signs that others could notice, the condition restricted my activities, and over time I learned to adjust and maintain an appearance of normalcy.  Something we can easily do with our sins.

Now I am in a position to say that I have been given two new hearts.  One a total makeover and the other a repair.  The initial experience occurred with God’s entry into my life, providing me with a heart receptive to understanding His character and the mercy He extends.  Early in my journey as a Christian, I discussed this transformation with Hannah, a fellow church member, expressing gratitude for the shift from a naturally unfeeling heart to one able to love and reflect God’s love toward others.  Nearly thirty years later, I am reminded of this profound change in me through Ezekiel 36v26.

My second ‘new’ heart was provided by surgeons; which although technically a repair did include a new valve.  My heart still doesn’t work perfectly but it has restored much of my everyday life, which others have noticed – just as people commented on how I changed after I accepted Christ.

What happens in our heart does reflect outwardly and is proof of what is going on inside.  Let me leave you with a quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“The heart is more nearly the man than any other of the faculties and powers God has bestowed on our nature.  The heart, when renewed by grace, is the best part of manhood; unrenewed, it is the worst.”

By Janet Cairns