Remove My Stony Heart

For a long time I have been praying Ezekiel 36:26, praying that God would remove my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh. My heart had turned to stone after the sexual abuse as a young child and I was desperate to feel again and love again. Praise the Lord, this spring I can say that because of God's grace this prayer has been answered. Here is my paraphrase of Ezekiel 36:24-29:

God has gathered me up and brought me back to my true identity in Christ. As I keep my gaze off myself and on Jesus' beauty and purity, I am cleansed. God gave me a new heart and showed me that His Holy Spirit lives in me. God has removed my heart of stone and given me a tender, responsive heart.

God has put His Holy Spirit in me and because of His love and grace I am moved to live in a way that pleases and glorifies Him. I am His child and He is my God, my Father, "Daddy", "Abba". God has saved me from my self-condemnation. He is giving me an abundant life where famine has been. He is opening my storehouse of fruitfulness where guilt and shame had taken up residence. All praise goes to Jesus Christ, my Savior.