On March 1, 2025, I had a powerful encounter with God. I recorded it in my journal. I asked Jesus, "What do you think about me?" In that moment, I saw a white-hot, red-hot hand placing a glowing heart into my chest. And I heard the words, "I have given you a new heart.
I have taken out your heart of stone." Immediately, I knew what He was talking about. I thought about how self-centeredness hardens our hearts. When we focus on our own thing, when we just do what we want, day after day, our hearts become less sensitive to God's whispers, His nudges, and His still, small voice.
Jesus' words to me, "I have given you a new heart. I have taken out your heart of stone," is God's promise in Ezekiel 36:26-27:
"And I will give you a new heart, and I’ll put a new spirit in you. I’ll take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I’ll put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations."
Ezekiel prophesied what God would do for us modern-day Christians. That happened when we were born again. God removed our old hearts of stone. We received new hearts, new spirits.
Holy Spirit came to live in our new spirits, and God created tender, responsive hearts in us. He put a willingness in us to listen to Him, to want to hear Him, to be with Him, and to obey Him. So, why was Jesus placing a new heart in me again?
In the picture that I saw, He was showing me that I had hardened my heart by being self-centered—simply doing what I wanted and making that a higher priority than His priority of loving people. He was giving me grace to change. He was renewing my heart with His love, in His character, and in His priorities.
Jeremiah 24:7: "I will make them want to know me—that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, because they will return to me with their whole hearts."
I believe Jesus wants to create a new heart in you as well as in me—a heart full of His love and grace. A heart that knows God and lives wholeheartedly for Him.