A 'heart of stone' symbolises emotional hardness, unresponsiveness, and a lack of compassion. It reflects a closed-off condition where love, understanding, and the Word of God find it hard to penetrate.
In the Bible, God desires us to have hearts of flesh instead of hearts of stone. Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV) says: "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."
God’s promise here is transformative, signifying His power to soften even the hardest of hearts. A heart of flesh represents vulnerability, responsiveness, and a capacity to love and be loved. Therefore, it's crucial as believers to let God work in our hearts, replacing any hardness with His loving, compassionate spirit. This transformation opens us up to a deeper relationship with God and others.
Quote Smash the stones of your hard heart to experience God afresh.
Prayer
Lord, if any part of my heart is hard, help me deal with it so my heart reflects Yours. Amen.
Action Point
It’s tough to acknowledge any distance from God, but what are the three biggest things that keep you from a deeper relationship with Him?
Copyright notices
(ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Use in other publications. You can use all of this devotional when including this credit. Copyright © Carl Brettle. Subscribe for free via www.faithlift.org