Heart failure ∙∙∙

Heart failure ∙∙∙

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. – Ezekiel 36:26

Ezekiel 36:25-27

25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols.
26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

Congestive Heart Failure and Recovery

Heart failure is a condition that many people recognize, as it is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, from the youngest to the eldest. The term “Congestive Heart Failure” (CHF) might sound overwhelming, but it simply describes a situation where the heart struggles to pump blood efficiently. This inability limits the heart’s critical function of circulating blood throughout the body.

Common symptoms of CHF include shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, and swelling in the legs. Despite its seriousness, however, many individuals enjoy long, fulfilling lives with proper treatment and lifestyle adjustments.

But could there be a parallel to this condition in our spiritual lives?

Spiritual Congestive Heart Failure

Just as the human heart can fail physically, humanity suffers from Spiritual Congestive Heart Failure. This spiritual condition arises from sin, which hardens and darkens our innermost being. Sin causes our spirits to grow cold, cutting us off from the life-giving vitality that flows from the Father’s presence. The life force of the Spirit diminishes and, in many cases, feels nonexistent.

Hardening of the Heart

In the Scriptures, the term “heart” represents the intangible center of our emotions, thoughts, and will, rather than the physical organ. The prophet Ezekiel confronted people whose hearts had grown desensitized, rigid, and unyielding. This hardening reflects a spiritual petrification, where the heart becomes closed to God’s truth and resistant to change. How hard were they? As hard as they could possibly be.
The Hebrew word for “stone” is eben. In the Ancient Near East, as well as today, eben refers to a familiar and incredibly hard material. This metaphor describes the result of people developing an “insensitive, resistant spirit” to the Father’s ways and desires. Their hearts had become stubborn and unyielding, “stone-like hearts.”

What causes this condition? A stony and stubborn heart develops when people rigidly harden their hearts. They become inflexible and rebellious, leading to a heart that becomes stiffened and unyielding. Once this state takes hold, no therapy can reverse it; a stony, stubborn heart becomes incurable. The only solution lies in a profound spiritual transformation—a spiritual heart transplant. The petrified heart must be removed and replaced with a warm, tender, sensitive, and responsive heart (Block).

The Need for a Transplant

There is hope, even for the hardest heart. The Father offers a complete spiritual heart transplant as the only cure. He provides a miraculous solution through spiritual transformation, a spiritual heart transplant. The Father uses a flawless surgical technique. Each transplant yields excellent outcomes, without complications or rejection in His kingdom.

The Father promises to remove our old, stony, hard hearts and replace them with vibrant, entirely healthy ones. He will cleanse us of our impurities and fill us with His Spirit. As a result of this transformative spiritual procedure, every child of the King is given a remarkable chance for a fresh start.

Listen to the promise in Ezekiel 36:26-27: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

This promise is not only about transformation but about regeneration. God offers to take what is lifeless and replace it with something vibrant, utterly healthy, and spiritually dynamic.

The Miracle of Regeneration

This “spiritual surgery” is at the heart of what the Bible calls “regeneration.” It is a transformation of the old into the new, exchanging hearts of stone for hearts of flesh. With the removal of our stubbornness and resistance, God provides tender, responsive hearts ready to follow Him. With this profound change comes an entirely new spiritual vitality.

Paul describes this miracle beautifully in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

In John 3, Jesus speaks of being “born again,” which signifies more than just changing one’s behavior or improving character; it represents a profound transformation at the very core of our being. This renewal occurs through the Holy Spirit, who fills our lives with God’s presence, granting us spiritual life and unity with Christ.

Once renewed, the spiritual lifeblood of the Father flows through us. Just as the physical heart circulates life-giving blood throughout the body, so our regenerated hearts become filled with His Spirit, sustaining our spiritual lives and empowering us to live in alignment with His will.

A Second Chance

This spiritual heart transplant gives us a second chance. We are no longer burdened by the weight of sin or the stubbornness of a hardened heart. Instead, we are filled with His Spirit and given the opportunity to live anew.

Charles Stanley wrote, “God does not want remodeled hearts, but brand new ones. He doesn’t want a reform in character, but a new spirit that loves to do His will. He wants transformation, not mere accommodation.”

REFLECT & PRAY

Spiritual heart failure is a universal problem, but God offers a universal solution through the miracle of regeneration. Transformation begins when we submit to His work, allow Him to replace our hearts of stone, and welcome His Spirit into our lives.

Father, thank You for taking away my heart of stone and granting me a tender, responsive heart. May Your Spirit flow lavishly within me, renewing and transforming me daily. Help me to reflect Your love, pursue righteousness, and live in the fullness of this new life You offer.

INSIGHT

A Transformed Heart Offers Renewed Life

When physical heart failure cannot be resolved through corrective surgery, doctors often turn to heart transplants as the ultimate solution. Likewise, the Father recognizes that no amount of spiritual “corrections” will effectively address Spiritual Congestive Heart Failure. Reforming our old lives and habits is insufficient. What we need is not a patch, but a complete transformation of the heart. The Father offers just that – a spiritual heart transplant, a miracle of renewal and restoration.

The Miracle of Transformation

This transformation is not about undoing past sins and leaving us in a state of neutrality. The Father’s purpose goes far beyond simply “fixing” what was broken. Instead, He implants a new nature within. He replaces our hardened, stony hearts with entirely new ones, instilling within us a vibrant, godly nature. This new heart guides our attitudes, decisions, and actions, shaping us to reflect His character.

Becoming Like Christ Without Losing Ourselves

When God transforms our hearts, we take on the incredible privilege of growing to become just like His Son. Yet in this process, we don’t lose our individuality or uniqueness. Transformation in Christ doesn’t erase who we are; it perfects and redeems our identity to align with God’s will.

The work of Jesus Christ makes this possible. Through His death, resurrection, and our acceptance of Him as Savior, we are forgiven, cleansed, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This spiritual renewal happens once and for all. It is a complete reworking of who we are at our core.

Why Does Change Feel Difficult?

If this transformation is so miraculous, why does it often feel like we’re not fully changed? The answer lies in the ingrained patterns of the flesh. For so long, we lived under the influence of sinful desires and worldly behaviors. These habits are like addictions, deeply rooted in our daily lives and thought patterns.

While the new heart is given instantaneously, learning to live out its fullness takes time, effort, and persistence. Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:16, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Walking in the Spirit Requires Daily Commitment

To experience genuine transformation, we must shift our focus from walking in the flesh to walking in the Spirit. This process is much like undergoing physical therapy after a heart transplant. Spiritual rehabilitation involves daily dedication and persistent effort to align our lives with God’s Spirit. It is not easy, but it is necessary. Through consistent practice and reliance on God’s power, we break free from the old habits of the flesh, developing a deeper walk in the Spirit.

A New Heart Does Not Mean Success

A new heart does not guarantee perfection. A new heart guarantees opportunity – a chance to begin again and live a transformed life. While we are forgiven and cleansed, our human condition remains a constant companion. We become spiritual schizophrenics.

Even as children of the King, we are often plagued by spiritual struggles. When we try to draw nearer to the Father, we may feel blocked by disappointments, temptations, or unhealed wounds. But the promise of the new heart is this: we are never fighting these battles alone. The Holy Spirit empowers and equips us to persevere, continually transforming us into the image of Christ.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

O, to grace, how great a debtor
Daily, I’m constrained to be!

Let Your goodness, like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for your courts above. – Robert Robinson

¯_(ツ)_/¯3-16-2

© Dr. H 2025