You know something – if I were God, and you should be sincerely thankful that I’m not, but if I were, there are a few people on this earth who would discover what wrath was all about. But fortunately for you, I’m not. And in fact, what really shocked me was to discover that God has this amazing heart – this amazing desire to heal those who once hated Him.

I don’t know if you remember that old Frank Sinatra song, “I Did It My Way”. But that could well be the bi-line for the way that I decided to live my life. I grew up in a home where we went to church. I had plenty of opportunity in my teenage years to give my life over to God. I kind of did. But as I grew up and realised there was money to be made in the world out there. I decided there was only one way to live my life – my way.

And in part it was good. I got a great education. School. University. Post Graduate. I had a great series of jobs. I was earning a lot of money. I had my own company. All the “me” things that we’re supposed to have. All the symbols of luxury and comfort and success.

But the greatest contradiction in life, for me, is that those things didn’t make me happy. And the more they didn’t, the harder I tried and the less they did. In fact it felt like bitter poison, all the success. At least that’s the label I wanted to use – success.

But it didn’t fit and there’s a reason it didn’t fit. I discovered that reason in the words of Moses. Written thousands of years ago but they are as true today as they were then. Have a listen. It comes from Deuteronomy 29:18:

Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God, to go and worship the God’s of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that produces such a bitter poison.

Bitter poison indeed.

Today we’re going to start looking at how God changes our hearts. Let me share with you again that wonderful prayer that Jesus prayed just before they crucified Him. He was in the Garden of Gethsemane and He prayed this for you and me.

Father, I desire that those also whom You have given me may be with me wherever I am. To see my glory which You have given me because You loved me before the foundation of the world.

See, He went to the cross so that we could be with Him where He is to receive His glory. That’s how much He wants to have a heart connection with us. And for that to happen, our heart has to change. And when our hearts turned away and how often it strays, we need to turn back to Him.

Problem is it’s so hard to do that in our own strength. Our hearts become hard and obstinate. And we think to ourselves, “how can I change my life so that I’m not like that anymore?” But here’s the good news. We don’t have to do the changing. God’s going to do that. All we have to do is to take the first step. The turning around. The step of turning back to God. And when we do that God hears us, God sees us, God acts for us. Have a listen, 2 Kings 22:19:

Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and this people. That they would become accursed and laid waste and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence I have heard you declares the Lord.

See God honours that first step. God will take that first step that we make towards Him and He will rejoice in it. He will forgive us when we humble ourselves before Him. When we say, “Lord, I’ve just heard you calling me. Everything I was doing, I was wrong. I turned my heart against You. I tried to do it my way and I’m sorry.”

You know what they call that? Theologians call that “repentance”. It’s turning back to God. And you know why I’m sharing this with you today? Because I believe that God is calling some people to turn back to Him today. To repent. Do you hear Him calling? Why don’t you pray this prayer with me right now in your heart?

Father God,

I’ve just heard you today. Your word is so clear in my heart, clear as a bell. I know it’s You. I know it’s true and I can’t heal my heart on my own but I can let You move me by Your word and right here and right now I want to fess up and say I was wrong. I’m sorry. My heart aches with pain. That’s what I mean. And this day, this moment I turn back to You. I know I’m forgiven through the sacrifice Jesus made for me on the cross. Come oh God and heal my heart. In Jesus name I pray.

That prayer my friend, if you’ve just prayed it with me, is a powerful prayer. It’s a prayer which God heard. It’s a prayer that God will honour in the mightiest ways in the days and weeks and months and years ahead. You will look back to the moment when you prayed this prayer and see how the mighty hand of God began to work in your life. Because from this moment on God is going to move in your heart.

See this is one of the things that I didn’t expect. I expected this mighty, wonderful God would require me to become mighty and wonderful. But that’s not the case. Time and time again we see how God moves people’s hearts. King David understood that when he prayed in Psalm 51, verse 10:

Create in me a pure heart oh God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Did David go to God and say, “God, I stuffed up. God, I committed adultery, I murdered a man and I just know that I have to clean up my act. I just know that I have to work hard to improve the way I live and I promise you God, I’m going to do better from now on, I’m going to try harder?”

No. If you read the first bit of Psalm 51, the first thing he does is he goes to God, he confesses that sin. He committed adultery, he murders a man and he prays a prayer of repentance much like the one that you and I just prayed. But David knows that’s not enough. David knows he has to change. So instead of promising God that he’d change, he asks God for the one thing that is going to change him. A change of heart:

God create in me a pure heart. Renew a steadfast spirit within me.

David asks God to do it by His spirit because David knows he’s not strong enough to do it on his own. He needs the power of God to change his heart. And so that’s exactly what he asks God for.

Listen to what another psalmist writes. Psalm 73, verse 26:

My flesh and my heart fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

My friend, God wants to change our hearts. He has the power to do it. His spirit in us is the power to change.

There are so many people trying to turn their lives around. There are so many people working hard, trying harder to please God. Listen to me. It doesn’t work. The “work harder” strategy is going to fail because only God has the power to change.

And for those who feel weak and powerless, let me share with you these words from the apostle Paul. A man, who through the struggles and trials of his life, had discovered an amazing truth about God’s power. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 18:

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know the hope to which you’ve been called. The riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints and His incomparably great power for us who believe.

In other words, Paul is saying, “I pray you would come to know the incomparably great power that you already have because you believe.” The same power that rose Jesus from the dead. That power, you already have it and that’s the power to change. That power is the power for you for your new life. Cast yourself on that power, let God change your heart.