Ezekiel 36:26 (Berean Study Bible)
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
As we rapidly approach the start of a new year, there are many things going through our minds. For one thing, the ‘old’ of the previous year is beginning to pass away for the ‘new’ year. For many of us, this is quite exciting! 2021 promises to bring about many new things in its wake, such as new friends, new challenges, and new opportunities. With all these possibilities on the horizon, it feels as though there is nothing we cannot do!
Of course, it is important to remember that the newness of our upcoming year is extremely predicated on our attitude toward it moving forward. Life is only as grand as we make it, and the newness of the coming year is only as full of joy and possibilities as our hearts will allow. This is one of the reasons why we must fight the urge to become calloused, bitter, and unfeeling about hope. We must have our hearts made anew!
We know from the Bible that God promises to make all things new. Revelations 21:5 states that not only is God making everything new, but He will never fail in making this promise come true! His works are always good, and His critical work makes every day a new promise, a new song, and a new opportunity to do things right. The coming of the new year is a grand thing indeed.
Our previous year has brought a lot of hardships, heartaches, and hard times. 2020 presented us with challenges and situations that many of us never expected to see in our lifetimes. Because of this, many of us grew jaded, crusty, and even stony. Why hope for new things when every day seems to bring more upset and terror? Many people blamed God for their misfortune, and still others questioned why a good God would allow bad things to happen in the first place.
Friends, this is a heart problem, not a God problem.
Christ understands that there will be much trouble in this life, and many tribulations to overcome. This is why He has given us the promise of hope! This beautiful, free gift is available to us all, and will strengthen our resolve through a reliance on our Father. We only need to make ourselves available to it.
Feeling hope begins by allowing our hearts to be sensitive to the works of God. In other words, we must remake our heart of stone into a heart of flesh. We must pray continually, look for support from other believers, and immerse ourselves in the healing words of His Word.
Don’t allow yourself to start another year with a heart of stone. Rather, renew your heart unto God for the hope, healing, and redemption that only He can provide!
Closing Thoughts:
How can you trust God to renew your heart this year? Are there prayer groups, Bible studies, or church activities you can take part of in the new year? How can you go about encouraging others to look forward to the new year with confidence? Remember that a good deal of renewing takes place in God’s hands, but we must be open and receptive to His molding. Friends, let us strive for a new heart of flesh this year!
Revelations 21:5 (New English Standard Version)
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Isaiah 42:10 (Berean Study Bible)
10 Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.
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