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Morning and Evening

August 15, Evening

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"And I will give you an heart of flesh." — Ezekiel 36:26 · KJV

A heart of flesh is known by its tenderness about sin. To have indulged a foul imagination, or let a wild desire linger even a moment, is enough to make a heart of flesh grieve before the Lord. The heart of stone calls a great sin nothing; not so the heart of flesh, which prays that the moment it strays to the right hand or the left the Lord would reprove it, and would sooner weep its life away than grieve His love. The heart of flesh is tender toward God's will. Our stubborn will is a great blusterer, hard to bring under God's will; but when the heart of flesh is given, the will quivers like an aspen leaf in every breath of heaven and bows like a willow in every breeze of God's Spirit. The natural will is cold, hard iron that cannot be hammered into shape, but the renewed will, like molten metal, is soon molded by the hand of grace. In the heart of flesh there is a tenderness of the affections. The hard heart does not love the Redeemer, but the renewed heart burns with affection toward Him. The hard heart is selfish and coldly asks, "Why should I weep for sin? Why should I love the Lord?" But the heart of flesh says, "Lord, You know that I love You; help me to love You more!" Many are the privileges of this renewed heart: here the Spirit dwells, and here Jesus rests. It is fitted to receive every spiritual blessing, and every blessing comes to it; it is prepared to yield every heavenly fruit to the honor and praise of God, and therefore the Lord delights in it. A tender heart is the best defense against sin and the best preparation for heaven; a renewed heart stands on its watchtower, looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus. Have you this heart of flesh?