September 2, 2021
What does it say?
The Sovereign Lord would judge the wicked leaders of Israel, gather the exiles back to the land, remove their hearts of stone, and give them an undivided heart of flesh.
What does it mean?
Hard hearts were both the cause and effect of rejecting God’s law. The results of Israel’s epidemic heart problem were exile and the destruction of Jerusalem, along with her inhabitants. But God had a plan. The Lord Himself would be a sanctuary for those in captivity until He returned His people to Jerusalem. A partial fulfillment of the prophecy to physically restore God’s people to the Promised Land is seen in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Complete fulfillment for Israel as a nation will occur at the onset of the Millennium. The indwelling of God’s Spirit will bring a spiritual renewal to the land of Israel and to the hearts of God’s chosen people.
How should I respond?
Do you have a heart problem? Rejecting God’s Word hardens your heart, and a hard heart continues to reject God’s Word. How can you avoid this vicious cycle? Start by recognizing the deceptive nature of sin. Temptation always promises something alluring that it can’t deliver. Giving in to the sin causes your heart to harden to God in that area of your life and hinders your spiritual understanding (Hebrews 3:13; Ephesians 4:18). Is your heart in need of a spiritual renewal today? It starts with the confession of sin.