New HeartSpeaker: Sis. Stella Dhinakaran Gist: Friend, is your heart as hard as a rock? Are you troubled over your sin that is still holding you steadfastly in its grip? Our loving God will forgive your sins, change your hardened heart and make you a new creation. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)
A young woman was a garrulously quarrelsome person; she was constantly wrangling with her own brothers and sisters. But God poured His wholesome love into her and transformed her stony heart.
Friend, how about your heart? Is it a hard rock, abominable to God? Are you troubled about your sin that is still holding you steadfastly in its grip? But God assures you, "My dear child, I will forgive your sins if you come to me; I will give you s new heart. I will pour out My Spirit on you, change your sin-soaked hard heart and make you a completely new creation. According to the verse, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18), God forgives your sins, cleanses your heart as white as snow and grants the blessing for you to abide in Jesus and make Him abide in you. Redeemed by His invaluable blameless blood and all your sins, fully forgiven, you become what He is in this world (1 John 4:17). If you have the 'mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus' as defined by St.Paul in Philippians 2:5, and if you inherit the forgiving nature of your Lord in you, God will empower you to turn even loveless people, creating havoc in the family, towards our Lord. He will give you that grace.
Saul, before he accepted the Lord and was transformed into St.Paul, was doing many misdeeds against the Lord. He was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. Nevertheless, one day as he was journeying towards the city of Damascus, suddenly a bright light shone around him from heaven; he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?" Saul was baffled and he asked, "Who are you Lord?" The Lord answered him, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." Trembling and astonished, he surrendered himself utterly to the Lord after finding out His will. Accepting His experiences in his life and bearing in his body His sufferings, he confessed soulfully, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). What a wonderful transformation!
"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection." (Colossians 3:12-14)
"Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord; that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful." (James 5:11)
Dear friend, if you find yourself in such a predicament caused by your loveless life partner or the members of your family. Take the compassionate God into confidence and keep on imploring Him, "O Lord, kindly exhibit your love to my partner and the members of my family who are ignorant of You and bestow Your grace upon me to turn them round towards You." Put on love, which is the bond of perfection and, God will assist you to be submissive to your partner and be at peace with the members of your family always. They may be won over by your love-filled undefiled conduct (1 Corinthians 7:13,14; 1 Peter 3:1,2). Our Lord will definitely grant you such a new heart.
Prayer:
Loving Heavenly Father,
My sins and shortcomings are blocking me from tasting Your love and compassion. Forgive me and change my hardened heart. Help me not to hurt Your loving compassionate heart by my thoughts, words and deeds. Kindly exhibit Your divine love to my partner and the members of my family who are ignorant of You. Bestow Your divine grace upon me. I give You all the glory, honour and praise. In Jesus' matchless name, I pray.
Amen. |