Things Change

 “And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh…”
Ezekiel 11:19 (ESV)

Can a killer become a saint? Can someone who's destroyed lives become an instrument of healing?

Eugene de Kock earned the nickname "Prime Evil" during apartheid in South Africa. He masterminded death squads that tortured and murdered anti-apartheid activists. His kill squad created chaos, promoted racism, and reinforced white supremacy through unspeakable violence. When democracy came in 1994, de Kock faced justice, convicted of 89 charges, two life sentences, and an additional 212 years.

But then something unexpected happened. De Kock started helping victims' families find their loved ones' bodies. He wrote apology letters. He expressed genuine remorse. After twenty years, he received parole.

The Apostle Paul murdered Christians and then became Christianity's greatest theologian. Moses killed an Egyptian leader before leading two million of God’s people to freedom. Zacchaeus robbed his own people blind until Jesus showed up at his door.

Think about your own story. God didn’t wait for you to clean yourself up. He stepped into your mess and transformed you from the inside out.

In today’s verse, Ezekiel promises that God removes hearts of stone and replaces them with hearts of flesh so that our hearts are living, beating, and responsive to His Spirit. “I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh…” (Ezekiel 11:19b, ESV) This is not self-improvement or behavior modification—it’s resurrection.

You look at your past failures and think change is impossible. When that pattern repeats, when that relationship stays broken, remember: God specializes in transforming the untransformable. The same power that changed a murderer into an apostle and raised a dead man lives in you.

With God, things really do change. Let this be your prayer each day: "God, remove my heart of stone. Give me a heart that beats for You."

Prayer: Father, thank You for not giving up on anyone, including me. You see past my worst moments to who I can become in You. Give me a new heart today—one that beats with Your love, responds to Your Spirit, and extends grace to others as You've extended it to me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.