Ezekiel 11
“When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols. And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:18–20, NLT)
We do not always have God’s perspective on life’s circumstances. We may think that we are safe when we are in danger, and we may think that we are in danger when we are safe. The men living in Jerusalem thought that they were safe because of their high walls. They thought they could confiscate the property of the people who had been taken captive to Babylon. But God would soon give them over to the sword, to famine, to disease, and to captivity. On the other hand, the people who were already in Babylon thought they had lost everything, but God would be a sanctuary for them. They were safe in the hands of the LORD. Moreover, God had great plans for them!
When they would return to Israel, they would remove all their detestable idols. They would have singleness of heart to love and serve the LORD only. God would put a new spirit in them. This looked forward to the new covenant that Jeremiah prophesied.
“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33, NLT)
This would ultimately be fulfilled in the new covenant of Jesus Christ when God would forgive their sins and fill them with the Holy Spirit. In Christ, He takes away our stony and stubborn hearts and gives us tender and responsive hearts. He makes us sensitive to God and to others. He give us a desire to keep His commandments and to work out our salvation. We now belong to Jesus, for He has purchased us with His blood. We are God’s people, and He is our King, Savior and Redeemer.
You may feel that you are in a miserable place. It seems that all things have turned against you. But are you in the grip of God? Have you fallen onto the Rock? Have you allowed Him to break up the stony places in your heart and give you a tender and responsive heart? Then regardless of your circumstances, you are right where you should be, and God will rescue and establish you in His time.