I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezek. 36:26)
THE FIRST HUMAN-TO-HUMAN heart transplant was performed on December 3, 1967, in South Africa. Dr. Christiaan Barnard and his team of thirty performed the historic nine-hour surgery. Today, about 3,500 heart transplants are performed annually around the world. Medical science and skill have worked wonders to remove badly diseased hearts and replace them with healthy ones, but only God can replace a stony heart. That is what He promised to do for the people of Israel (Ezek. 36:26).
Edward Arney had been to prison three times and had six felony convictions, but recently he became a Christian. Soon after God changed his heart, he approached the officer who had arrested him and asked the officer to pray with him. The two were seen with heads bowed and hands clasped as they prayed.
No heart is too hard for God to change. What He did for Arney, He can do for anyone.
After hardening his heart to God’s will and committing adultery with Bathsheba, King David repented and confessed his sin. He cried out, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10). David believed God would respond with forgiveness. He wrote, “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (v. 17). David’s prayer was answered.
Ask God to change someone’s hard heart today, even if it’s yours.
Jim Dyet was born in Scotland and grew up in Canada. Married almost sixty years, he and Gloria live in Colorado Springs, where Jim enjoys golf and daily walks with their dogs.
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