Today's Meditation
Read Ezekiel 36:22-27
22Therefore, say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. 24I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land.
25I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.
In anticipation of tomorrow's celebration of Pentecost, when God gifted the Holy Spirit with power to the church, we have today's reading. Today's focus is on verses 26 and 27. "A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
My prayer for the day:
Lord, we need You to give us a new heart. A heart of compassion, love, and care for You, for ourselves, and for others. We need to learn how to be merciful and kind, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, like You. But, Holy God, we can't do it with our hearts of stone. We need that new heart. We also need a new spirit within us; a spirit of truth and gentleness. We need Your Holy Spirit to excite and empower our spirits within to live a life worthy of Your calling.
Precious Lord, may this day be a day of heart and spirit renewal within us. AMEN.
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