NIV Once-A-Day Bible for MenSample

A NEW HEART

Science has produced many amazing medical advances. Arguably the most spectacular is the ability to transplant human body parts, replacing old with new from donors or with artificial ones. A few decades ago, transplants were rare, but these days everyone seems to know someone with a new hip, knee, kidney, lungs, liver, cornea, or heart.
When Ezekiel recorded this promise from God, he had no knowledge of organ and joint replacements, but he carefully recorded the message of a heart transplant — ​and we can relate. Although the “heart” in this passage refers to the core of a person’s being — ​not to a physical, blood-pumping muscle — ​the image is the same.
The Bible often uses the image of a cold and hard stone to picture a person who is “hardened” — ​closed to God. Hearts become hardened through repeated sin and living only for self. Sadly, even God’s people can become stonelike, choosing to live their own way rather than submit to the Lord. Some people seem so hardened, wanting nothing to do with anything remotely spiritual, that we can’t imagine anything or anyone breaking through their tough veneers. But God can. In fact, he can replace their hearts of stone with hearts of “flesh” — ​soft, alive, vital, warm, and filled with his Spirit.
Name your hardened coworker, neighbor, friend, or relative. Ask God to perform spiritual heart surgery, transforming that person into one who loves the Lord and others. And ask God to use you in the process. 

Please keep my heart soft, Lord . . .