New heart in a troubled times - Ezekiel 7-12

Ezekiel doesn't always have a positive message to bring. He is often asked to give warning and correction. That can't be easy as a prophet. Doom and gloom doesn't build a congregation ... or so we think. God, however, is not into building by flowery words and flattering speech. God is into truth and sometimes truth hurts. So, in Ezekiel you get a lot of truth and the truth hurts sometimes. That backdrop is what makes chapter 11 so refreshing. Imagine after talking about the departing of the Spirit and glory of God in chapter ten and beginning chapter eleven with the concept of judgement on evil leaders what it must have felt like for the prophet to prophesy the words of 11:19-22 ... that God is going to put a "new" heart into the remnant. Can you imagine who Ezekiel must have felt to be able to say that God was eventually going to take the heart of flesh out and put the heart of God into their lives in place of the heart of stone. Of course the great words don't last long. Quicker that Ezekiel could change writing positions God uses his prophecy to tell us that God will punish all those who have a heart of stone and refuse to consider the heart transplant God offers. But, like a Lily pad in a swamp 11:19-20 sit for us to see, enjoy and embrace. God is chaining hearts. We only need to let Him give us a new heart in the midst of a bad time.