Day 20 Heart Change

Give___our sons__a new heart, and a new spirit put within him. Remove the heart of stone from

his flesh and give him a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26)

Encouragement from Brooke

The most foundational thing we can ask God for in the lives of our sons is heart change. The Word says that

what's in the heart eventually comes out. Bad stuff in the heart? Bad stuff comes out. Good stuff in the heart?

Good stuff comes out.

I heard an illustration of this concept once from a pastor friend. He held up a Styrofoam cup with a little water

inside and proceeded to ram his hand against the cup so that the water splattered everywhere. Then he asked this question: "Why did water come out of the cup?"

So what do you think? Did the water come out of the cup because he rammed his hand up against it? Certainly apossible answer. But consider this: could it be that the water came out of the cup because there was water IN the cup? Think about it … if the cup had been empty when he rammed it, nothing would have come out. And so it is with our hearts. Life has a funny way of ramming up against us. People pull out in front of you when you're in a hurry. The neighbor's dog won't stop yapping through the night when all you need is a few hours of sleep. Your children pick the day after your favorite relative dies to be little horrors … somehow sensing that mom is frazzled. Stuff happens.

We get hit. Probably every day. But our response to the hits comes from what's in our cup...or hearts. Bad stuff in the heart? Bad stuff comes out. Good stuff in the heart? Good stuff comes out.

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." ~Luke 6:45

Lord, I pray today for our hearts first. Help us to put only good stuff into our hearts so that only good stuff can come out! Help us to be an example of a heart changed for your glory to our sons! we want to be more and more like you everyday! Come and fill us up with you! Lord, change our hearts and change the hearts of our sons! may their hearts be tender and yearning after you. May our sons be known as men according to your heart! amen!
Gracefully Daisy