Our passage from Ezekiel speaks comforting words. Here the Sovereign LORD promises to use his people to declare his holi­ness among the nations.

But were the people of Israel up to this difficult task?

Already in Egypt we saw their hesitation to follow God. They grumbled and complained, twist­­ing and turning against God's will, refusing to trust him. And then once they established their home in the promised land, their disobedience spiraled out of control.

We wonder if it was even possible for the people of Israel, on their own, to reveal the holiness of God. And the sad fact was that it was completely impossible for them to do so.

But in this passage, as well as others sprinkled throughout Ezekiel and the prophets, we find God's promise to bolster the hearts, minds, and wills of his people by putting his Spirit in them. He promises to cleanse them from their impurities and give them a new heart. God himself, through the Holy Spirit, makes his people a witness to the nations.

Just as the people of Israel fell short in following God, so each one of us struggles to be holy. Call on the Spirit today and ask him to fill you so that you can be holy and reflect his holiness in his world. He will turn your heart of stone into a heart of love and goodness.