Stone and Flesh

 

Here we are – the end of the year!  The years seem to pass by more quickly the older I get.  When I was a young adult, I remember wishing time would come – I wish for the day I would get married, the day I would have children, the day I would have a career, etc.  Now those days have come and gone.  Many times, I wish for those ‘days’ back again.  As Cher sang in her song, “If I Could Turn Back Time,” how I would savor each of those moments, instead of wishing for the next.

As we say goodbye to 2024 and begin 2025, and complete our final season of faith, the season of winter, we can reflect upon what we would have done differently and what we want to achieve with the start of a new year!  The verse of today guides us through that process.  As the Lord shared in this verse, it is a time to remove from our hearts the stones – the areas that dragged us down during 2024.  In reflection, there were areas that dragged me down:

·         Worry – how many times I worried about areas of my life.  How many sleepless nights did I spend over trivial thoughts such as ‘what am I going to make for dinner when the family comes over’ or ‘what if we don’t’ enjoy this vacation.’  Of course, there were the larger worries such as, “is my mom going to continue to be in good health” or “are my grandchildren going to be okay.”  These worries are consuming, yet when the old worries are given to God, the peace that only God can give is provided to me.

·         Sin – the sins that brought my heart to a dark place.  We carry burdens in this life.  Carrying our sins is certainly one of them.  I can belabor over sins I have committed for days, weeks, months, and years.  The guilt that I feel over disappointing people, and more importantly God, tears at my heart.  Once again, Jesus is there to take all that guilt away.  He replaces my sins with a sign of forgiveness – FOR IT ALL!  No matter how large or small, Jesus takes every sin to the cross with Him.

There are other areas that have dragged my heart into one of stone.  These two took center stage!  Yet, for all that dragged me down, there was much that the Lord replaced in my heart with a new spirit!  There were days when compassion and forgiveness replaced bitterness and resentment.  Days when love and kindness replaced dislike and nastiness.  The Lord was with me, giving me a new heart when I needed it the most.

As we reflect on 2024 and set our sights on 2025, let us do so with a sense of forgiveness, for ourselves.  Jesus forgives us and loves us.  He removes our old hearts of stone and replaces them with hearts of flesh.  May we find a way to do the same for ourselves – and others.  Here is to 2025, filled with love, joy, kindness and faith! 

Before we leave 2024, I would like to thank all of you who read Simple Faith Today!  Your comments make me smile and provide me with the energy to keep on writing!  I pray all of you enter 2025 with hearts filled with goodness and a love for our Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank you for removing the bad from our hearts and replacing it with good.  May we always remember it is YOU who gives us the joy we revel in.  Amen.