Singer-songwriter Jelly Roll has been quite busy performing and producing a new album, Beautifully Broken, dealing with his conversion to Christianity.
One of those songs has been hovering in the Top 20 country hits for months. The lyrics of “Heart of Stone” have especially touched me as one of the many who have made a decision to follow Christ later in life.
In my 40-plus years of following the Way, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of witnessing many surrender their lives to the Lord later in life. Some were truly transformed dramatically by the Holy Spirit.
It’s quite amazing to see a hardened business professional come to the realization that his new life in Christ is only the beginning of a loving relationship with his Heavenly Father and that his life will be transformed forever.
That’s Jelly Roll’s story.
Only a handful are caught up in the entertainment industry and the temptation of a worldly existence. Yet, many are caught up in a lifestyle that is not pleasing to God.
Our hearts can be easily hardened by our poor choices in our personal and professional affairs. Literally, “hearts of stone” have been transformed to “hearts of gold,” as the lyrics attest!
Before the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Moses had quite an interaction with Pharoah.
As you may recall, God brought 10 plagues against Egypt. We can read about how Pharoah’s heart was hardened by these plagues, but it wasn’t until the final miracle that God hardened his heart.
In a similar fashion, we can harden our heart. Yet, the God of the universe can miraculously transform anyone who is distant from Him into a new creation. He can call the worst sinner in the world into His precious arms.
We would be remiss to not consider Saul of Tarsus. In chapter 9 of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, we are first introduced to this oppressor of the first Christian church.
God confronted Saul on the Road to Damascus. This one who persecuted Christ became the greatest defender of Christ after his dramatic confrontation with the Risen Savior.
A majority of the letters found in the New Testament were penned by the Apostle Paul. His heart was truly transformed and he was forever changed for God’s purpose.
God is continually changing the lives of the unconvinced from their sinful ways for His glory. As the Great Physician, He can surgically remove our “heart of stone” and replace it with a “heart of gold.”
Let me conclude with my plea for you to consider taking a hard look in the mirror. If you sense something is missing, please consider talking to God about the possibility of the Holy Spirit coming into your life and changing your heart this day forward.
He can change you if you are only willing to accept His Son as Savior and Lord!