I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19 (NIV)
Frustrated by the Company Icemaker
Ice cubes are a wonderful invention. Until, that is, they rebelliously band together into a solid, rock-hard block! At work, our icemaker empties the ice cubes into a freezer bin. Occasionally, the cubes melt slightly and then refreeze into a hard, abstract ice sculpture.
Chipping at fused ice cubes, trying to break off two or three for your drink requires an ice pick, a strong arm, and lots of patience! It’s easier to dump the block of ice in the sink and wait for the icemaker to start dropping new cubes.
So that’s what I do.
But there’s an easier way to break up this rock-hard, ice sculpture. Simply turn on the tap. Cold water drills holes in the ice. Brute force is totally unnecessary. The running water melts the toughest ice block away in minutes.
Zero Faith
The bible speaks of hearts hardened by sin. Sometimes we get discouraged when we pray for a loved one’s salvation, or for a Christian whose heart is hard in a certain area. Our emotions tell us, “They’re never going to change—what’s the use of praying?” Despair drains us; it washes away our hope. We don’t have the energy to keep praying.
Years ago, I was praying for a Christian friend’s hard heart. Suddenly I stopped; I realized I didn’t believe my own prayers! My faith tank was empty. Stunned, I cried out to God for help: “Lord, I don’t have any faith for this!” Immediately, I saw a mental image of tap water melting ice in a sink. New faith flowed into me, as I pictured the hardness in my friend’s heart being made of ice, not rock.
My Faith Returned Stronger
I have faith that the Holy Spirit can melt an ice-encased heart, a heart that’s cold and indifferent to Him. Does the Lord change people’s hearts? Yes! All the time! Redemption, salvation, repentance—God’s work on earth is all about changing hearts. It’s His specialty. So don’t despair if nothing seems to be happening. You can’t see it, but as you pray, the Holy Spirit’s life-giving water is flowing. The ice is cracking and starting to melt. The Lord is thawing and softening that person’s heart.
All images are from Pixabay.com.
Resources:
“Hearts Like Ice” is republished with permission from the Christian Devotions website. Each day a different author’s devotion is featured, along with their image and bio. The editors actively encourage new writers to submit devotions. They also hold a Christian writer’s conference each February.
This website launched my writing career. They published the first devotion I ever wrote. Here’s the link: christiandevotions.us.
