Today’s image of a stone has a negative connotation. In Ezekiel’s prophecy, God is not pleased with the people’s character or behavior. He compares their rebellion to having a “heart of stone.”

A “heart of stone” is cold, impenetrable, stubborn, and unrepentant. God sent Ezekiel to speak to the people about changing their ways, about examining their attitudes and priorities. Yet, right in the middle of a harsh judgment toward the people, Ezekiel shares this promise that God wants to change their hearts. It’s something God will do, but it also requires some action from the one whose heart is cold and hard. It’s a both/and scenario: God does something, and we do something. The warning is that people whose hearts are still divided and devoted to other things won’t be transformed.

Having a stone-cold heart is a miserable thing. It makes life harder than it has to be. Turning back to God can be a huge, courageous step, espe­cially if it means leaving old habits and attitudes behind. But the promise of having an undivided heart and God’s Spirit in a heart of flesh is definitely the better way. It’s what God desires for our lives. It makes a radical change in life worth every effort, and we can do it in God’s strength.