WEEK 24 – DAY 5

A CIRCUMCISED HEART

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Romans 2:28-29

In order to live lives pleasing to God, we had to undergo heart surgery. God had to cut around our hearts to remove the hardness, to extract the hearts of stone in order to give us hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:25). He did this by drawing us to Himself and giving us the faith in Christ needed to save us. When we surrendered our lives to the control of the Lord, His Holy Spirit moved into the renewed hearts He had created. As we daily allow the Spirit control of our lives, we are enabled to accomplish the tasks God lays on our hearts. True service is not willing ourselves to obey certain rules and regulations. It is, rather, a complete surrender of our wills to God. It is a moment by moment choice to seek God’s best in every decision, every action, every breath of our lives. As we choose to know more of the Lord through His word, worship, and prayer, we are more aware of the ways He desires to work in and through us. As we learn to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), bringing everything to Him, and as we seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33), then the good works for which He created us will follow.

Father, keep our hearts soft and pliable for Your use. Cut away any hardness that would keep us from You and fulfilling Your will for our lives.