“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” —Ezekiel 36:26
Repeatedly Jesus looked the most religious men of His day in the eye and confronted them about their obsession with appearances while their hearts were empty and corrupt.
It didn’t matter if they tithed everything they owned, could quote the Law from beginning to end, or if everyone respected them. If their hearts weren’t right, they weren’t right. And if ours aren’t right, neither are we.
The medical profession stresses the importance of regular checkups. We don’t assume that just because we look fine outwardly, we have nothing to worry about. If our heart isn’t functioning properly, we want to know so we can do whatever is necessary.
Should we be any less concerned about our spiritual heart condition? We need to regularly ask the Lord to diagnose conditions we may not see in ourselves. The good news is that the Great Physician has made a cure available for our deceived, diseased hearts. Jesus came to do radical surgery—to give us a new heart and cleanse and transform us from the inside out.
------------------
The Quiet Place: Daily Devotional Readings
©2012 Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
When did you last ask God to give you a spiritual heart checkup? What issues did His Spirit identify that need to be addressed?