I saw a beautiful waterfall. The rocks below were gouged out smooth from the decades, even centuries, of billions of gallons of water pummeling them with constant force. But even though that rock had evidently changed its shape over the years... it was still a rock. The water had been effective in eroding away some of the rock, but the rock remained a rock nonetheless.
There are a few things in life that affect our stony hearts, but do they really change them? I read countless articles this week on the orphans in Haiti. One article in particular struck me and I caught myself drying the moisture from the corner of my eye: a group of young orphans, four, five and six years old being tended to by an eleven-year-old. All of their parents are dead. That should move even the hardest, rockiest of hearts. But yet there are people who commented on the article that "this is Haiti's problem and we should not be there for any reason".
What makes a heart that rock-hard? Is there any effective remedy? What would change that cold stony heart into a heart of compassion and love? Water. Water?! The washing of the water of the Word! Ezekiel 36:25 says "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness". He continues in verse 26, "I will give you a NEW heart and put a NEW spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes..."
This sprinkling of water is the washing of the water of the Word. Continual feasting and drinking of the Word of God. This is what changes the rock-hard heart. While the waterfall may change the shape of the stone with its powerful force - it is still a stone. But the Word of God powerfully and effectively transforms the cold, stone heart into a loving, compassionate heart... a heart that was once an enemy of God is now a friend to God.
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