Sunday, February 12, 2012

Reason #27 - He Gives A New Heart


Of all the verses that I have prayed over my life, Ezekiel 36:26 wins the grand prize for the number of times I pray it every day.

"Lord, change my heart."
"Give me a new heart, Lord Jesus."
"Oh Lord, give me Your heart."

There have been times in my life when I literally prayed this verse dozens of times a day. This past week, it has been on my mind almost continually.

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Hear God's promise to us! To me. To you.

I can think of fewer things more exciting than the fact that the Lord will give us a new heart, and a new spirit! And not just any heart and spirit, but His!

I have longed to know that Christ could say of me, "Here is a woman after my own heart." He said it of David. If only David could have been my best buddy! Too bad I couldn't have been Jonathan. :) I wish so much that I could meet David, to walk with him, to know his heart. Because to know his heart would have been to know God's heart.

No I can't meet him face to face. But I can see glimpses of his life and of his character. As I have studied David's life in the Scriptures these past couple days, I have seen a normal man. I have not seen an angel. I have seen emotions like anger, fear, mistrust. I have seen doubt and discouragement. I have seen sin too, far worse (in the world's eyes, anyway) than anything I've ever done.

Yet I've also seen unleashed passion. Deep brokenness and humility. Unshakeable faith.

I've seen a man who loved the Lord.

And I've come to the startling, thrilling, relieving, passionate conclusion - and my heart wells up with thankfulness as I write this -

To be a man or woman after God's own heart is not to be a man or woman of perfection.

It is to be a man or woman of love and passion for the Lord God, above and beyond anything else in life.

Not by my own might or power. Heaven knows - and I've learned the hard way - I don't have any of that!! But it comes through something as simple as a gift. The gift of the heart of God.

He longs to give it. And I long to receive it.

I love my Lord, because He gives me a new heart. His heart.



2 comments:

  1. Amen, oh amen! Kate, you are such an encouragement to me! Everytime I read that passage from Ezekiel I pray it back to God...oh how I want His heart, His love, His mind. I have joined you and Christa in praying "Lord, change my heart!"
    The Lord is changing your heart, Kate. I've been watching you grow and change. He is doing a good work in you, dear. Don't ever get discouraged, He's changing you--I've seen it.
    Love you, Kate...more than you know. :)

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