Ezekiel 11-13

September 5

Ezekiel 11-13

Israel’s history was like a rollercoaster. God delivered them, they turned from God, God brought punishment upon them, they turned back to God, and God delivered them again. The pull of the world, the worship of the idols of other nations, the sinful hearts of the Israelites were all too much to keep them walking in obedience. God has sent them into exile again, but he has sent them out with a promise. This time God promises to not only bring them back to Him, but to give them new hearts, hearts that will empower them to walk in obedience.

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God." (Ezekiel 11:19-20, NIV) God fulfilled this promise on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled the believers. He continues to fulfill this promise as those who accept Jesus are also filled with the Spirit. The Spirit works in us and gives us new hearts and makes us into new creations. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

The sin nature we are all born with is too powerful for us to overcome on our own. We, like the Israelites fall, turn to God, only to fall again. But when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are new creations with new hearts and our direction changes. We follow God’s decrees and are careful to keep His laws because He lives in us and empowers us to life for Him.