The Weekly Word - A Devotion for the Week of March 2
During the six weeks of Lent, we are offering a special devotional series on the theme of repentance. We invite you to set aside a few minutes each week to turn toward God, asking His forgiveness and offering Him your thanksgiving and praise.
The Scripture for today is from Ezekiel 36:26-27:
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.
The thing about living with and for God is that the process isn’t always perfect. We are human, which means we still make mistakes. We still sin. A “tender, responsive heart” doesn’t mean a perfect, flawless heart.
But it does mean that even amid our failings, we respond “yes” to God’s invitation to come closer to Him. We turn back to Him again and again. We focus not on our failure, but rather, on God’s infinite grace.
Despite all our shortcomings, our new hearts and our new spirits are open and eager to accept God’s embrace and follow His will for us.
Gracious God, please continue to work Your transformative power in me. You know when my heart turns stony. You know when I need to be softened. Make my heart tender and responsive, Lord, so that I will turn with openness and love toward You. Amen.