“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19 ESV).
When Ezekiel delivered this prophecy, many of God’s people were already living in exile in Babylon after the second deportation of Judah. Jerusalem itself had not yet fallen, but that judgment was soon to come because of their persistent rebellion against the LORD. While Ezekiel was living among the exiles by the Chebar Canal, he was carried in a vision to Jerusalem, where he saw God’s glory departing from the temple (Ezek. 10:18–19) and heard this promise of renewal. Even in that dark hour, God offered a message of hope. He promised to gather a faithful remnant and give them “one heart” and “a new spirit.” Their hearts of stone—hard, unresponsive, and divided—would be replaced with hearts of flesh—living, tender, and obedient. This promise anticipated the “new covenant” later revealed in Ezekiel 36:26 and Jeremiah 31:31–34, in which God would write His law on His people’s hearts. Ultimately, this prophecy pointed forward to Christ, who through His Spirit brings the new creation to life in us (2 Cor. 5:17).
We, too, once lived in exile from God with hearts of stone—cold and resistant to His will. But through faith in Christ, God has given us new hearts and a new spirit. In Him, we are new creations; the old has gone, the new has come! Now the Spirit unites us with one heart to love and obey the Lord. Let us not return to hardness of heart nor division, but daily yield our hearts to His transforming power. As God’s renewed people, we can live as living proof of His promise fulfilled—showing His mercy, unity, and love in a world that longs for renewal.
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for taking away our hearts of stone and giving us new hearts through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to walk together with one heart, tender and responsive to Your will. Renew us daily by Your grace so that our lives may reflect Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.