“And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires,
and I will put a new spirit in you.
I will take out your stony heart of sin
and give you a new, obedient heart.”
Ezekiel 36:26 NLT
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Do you ever feel like YOU are your own biggest obstacle?
I do. All. The. Time. I keep telling God that I know HE can do anything but I do have significant doubts about my ability to not screw it up. The earthly equivalent of what I mean by this would be that I could be on a field with just Aaron Rodgers and myself and he – with his perfect aim – could fire off a pass to me but that still doesn’t guarantee that I’ll make the touchdown.
I could fumble and drop the ball. I could trip and fall. I could get distracted by daydreaming about what Aaron will say to me once I complete this epic touchdown and end up letting the ball whiz by my head. There are so many things I could do that DO NOT qualify as a touchdown.
That’s how quite a few areas of my life feel. Even with God as my quarterback, I still have receiver anxiety.
I went into this week having quite a bit of this receiver anxiety. The coolest thing happens with my heart’s condition as I read the Bible each day. God knows me and sees right where I’m at and He makes things that I need to hear (in my condition) jump off the page at me. For example, I’ve never noticed before this week how often God uses the phrase “I will.” Just in Ezekiel chapter 34 alone, he says “I will” 25 times! And, if you ask any knowledgeable historian, each and every single “I will” DID HAPPEN.
Then, in chapter 36, I read the “I Will” that literally dissolved every single ounce of receiver anxiety clouding up my heart.
“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. 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. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” (Ez. 36:25-27 NLT with emphasis)
He doesn’t need me to be a perfect receiver. He WILL be the quarterback AND the receiver in my life. He is the Alpha AND the Omega, the Beginning AND the End. He will not just teach me the ways to love and trust him, but he will place in me his own Holy Spirit so that I WILL live them out.
He WILL overcome even my own personal obstacles within me with me so that I can confidently say I WILL.
I will obey.
I will trust.
I will stop putting all other things before Him.
I will ___________________.
Whatever it is, I’m not going to let my receiver anxiety get the best of me anymore. God is going to do Super Bowl quality work in me every day that I have left here in this life.
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Dear Lord, You probably get a kick out of what I worry about each day. I’m sorry for thinking that I’m clumsy enough to get in the way of your will. Thank you for letting your own perfect, Holy Spirit live inside me and help me through each day. I’m looking at life with a fresh heartbeat today. Thank you, Lord! Amen.
Thank you for being Gods Email person , I love those verses, I love your football analogy, I love that The Holy Spirit prompted you to tell me these “I Wills”. You are awesome!!!!
Thank you for being someone who encourages me to find the I WILL’s in my Bible. YOU are awesome, Dad. I love you!!
This is another touchdown Emily. You are one of the people in my life that really make the Bible more real to me. This analogy helps me grasp onto the truth God has for me.
Thanks, Nick! The inspiration is mutual – I love how you love your family and how you give without ceasing to those around you in need. I’m honored to have you as a brother-in-Christ.