ESOCS Devotional 3 July 2026 – A Heart of Flesh, Not Stone
MEMORY VERSE: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 KJV
TEXT: EZEKIEL 36:22-28
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. 23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 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. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
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God is in the business of transformation. In Ezekiel 36:26, He makes a powerful promise to His people, a promise that still holds true today: “A new heart also will I give you.”
Our hearts, apart from God, are like stone, hard, unresponsive, and resistant to His ways. A stony heart is closed off to conviction, compassion, and change. It clings to pride, bitterness, and self-will. But God doesn’t leave us in that condition. He promises to remove the heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh, one that is tender, responsive, and sensitive to His Spirit.
This heart transplant is the essence of true spiritual renewal. It’s not just about changing behavior, but about deep inner transformation. When God gives us a heart of flesh, we begin to love what He loves, feel what He feels, and respond to His leading. Our desires shift, and we grow in compassion, humility, and obedience.
However, we must allow God to do this work. Sometimes, we hold onto old wounds, stubborn habits, or non-forgiveness that hardens our hearts again. But God invites us daily into renewal, into a posture of surrender, where He softens us again and fills us with His Spirit.
Are you guarding a stony heart today? Let God do the heart surgery. Invite Him to soften what has become calloused, and watch how His Spirit brings new life.
Reflections
- Are there areas in my life where I’ve grown spiritually hard or unresponsive to God?
- What emotions or wounds am I holding onto that may be hardening my heart?
- How can I open myself to receive the new heart God promises?
Action Step
Spend 10 quiet minutes with God today. Ask Him to search your heart and show you any places that have grown hard. Journal what He reveals, and invite Him to begin the softening work.
Prayer
- Lord, I confess that at times my heart has been hard toward you and others. Remove my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh.
- Make me tender, teachable, and responsive to your Spirit.
- Fill me with your compassion and help me to walk in love in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Further Reading: Ezekiel 11:14-20; Luke 1:26-38; Philippians 1:1-8
ESOCS Devotional 3 July 2026
