A Heart Set Free and Firm

 A Heart Set Free and Firm

Full Scriptures (NLT)

Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”

1 Corinthians 2:12 (NLT)

“And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”

Psalm 37:5 (NLT)

“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.”

Matthew 24:10 (NLT)

“And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.”

The Promise of a New Heart

The journey of faith begins with transformation from the inside out. In Ezekiel 36:26, God promises not improvement—but renewal. The Hebrew word for heart, Lēb (לֵב), speaks to the very center of who we are—our thoughts, our will, our emotions.

God doesn’t repair the old heart—He replaces it. What was once hardened becomes tender. What was once closed becomes responsive. This is the miracle of salvation: a spiritual transplant performed by the hand of God.

Guided by the Spirit

With this new heart, we are not left alone.

1 Corinthians 2:12 reminds us that we have received the Spirit of God so we can understand what He has freely given us.

The Greek word Lambanō (λαμβάνω) means to actively take hold of. We are not passive in our faith—we are invited to grasp truth, to receive wisdom, and to grow in understanding through the Holy Spirit.

The Act of Surrender

Because we have a new heart and God’s Spirit, we are able to live out Psalm 37:5: to commit everything to the Lord.

The Hebrew word Gālal (גָּלַל) means “to roll.” Picture taking the heavy burdens you carry—fear, pain, memories—and rolling them off your shoulders onto Him.

God never asked you to carry what only He can hold.

Standing Firm in Testing

Jesus warns in Matthew 24:10 that many will fall away. The word Skandalizō (σκανδαλίζω) means to stumble or be trapped.

When pain, betrayal, or hardship come, they can become stumbling blocks—or stepping stones.

But when we keep surrendering, keep trusting, and keep rolling our burdens onto Him, we remain steady, rooted, and unshaken.

Reflection: Strength Through Surrender

Before we are saved, we are sinners. After we are saved, we still struggle—but now we know, and we strive.

There are wounds we carry that we didn’t choose. Seasons of suffering we didn’t understand.

Yet even in the darkest moments—God was there.

Even when my heart felt abandoned… He had not left me.

Even when fear surrounded me… He was sustaining me.

What the enemy meant for destruction, God used to build strength.

He gave me courage when I was just a child.

He gave me the will to stand, to resist, to survive.

And even when trust was broken and help was missed, God never stopped pursuing me.

Over time, that strength became something powerful—but incomplete on its own.

Because strength without surrender builds walls.

But strength surrendered to God builds testimony.

And when I finally humbled myself before Him, everything changed.

Now I walk with Him daily.

I speak to Him about everything—big and small.

“Lord, help my cat.”

“Father, change my mood.”

This is  a relationship. This is intimacy.

And sometimes, He answers with a memory—like a joyful man named, George Merrow, singing and God reminds me how happy George was living in the presence of our one true God.

“I’ve got the joy of the Lord down in my heart.”

That joy is real.

That joy is visible.

That joy is strength.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Because without Him, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

But with Him—I am strong, bold, and free.

Praise Jesus!

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving me a new heart—one that is tender, responsive, and alive to You.

Thank You for Your Spirit, who teaches me, guides me, and helps me understand Your truth.

Lord, today I roll every burden onto You—every worry, every memory, every fear.

You are strong where I am weak. You are faithful in every season.

Thank You for never leaving me, even in the moments I didn’t understand.

Thank You for protecting my soul, for giving me courage, and for turning my pain into strength.

Fill me with Your joy today, Lord. Let it be seen in my smile, heard in my words, and felt by everyone I meet.

Make me a reflection of Your love.

In Jesus’  precious  name we pray, Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

Amen.

BOBBA

Believe.

Obey.

Be Blessed.

Amen. ❤️

Love, Penny 💛