The cheetah is fast. 70 mph across the plains. But speed isn’t everything. In fact, the cheetah has a major limitation. That limitation is a small heart. It can’t keep going for long if it doesn’t catch its prey quickly. It quits because it cannot sustain long pursuits.

You know, sometimes we chase life like that. We run hard after goals, dreams, success. We start fast. But the real problem isn’t speed. Like the cheetah. We have a heart issue.

Scripture says that we were born sinners who have hearts of stone. These stone hearts refuse to allow love in or love out and love is absolutely what we need to give and to receive. Without love, you and I may be able to make a short sprint of life, but we will never run for eternity.

We won’t catch the prize of eternal life unless we get a miracle. The good news is that miracle comes from God through His Son, Jesus. He promised it in Ezekiel 36:26 when He said, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Only God can change what’s dead into what lives. Only He can replace cold, stubborn hearts with hearts that beat for His kingdom. We don’t just need to run harder. We need to be remade. New heart means new life. And that life we get to run is for an eternity.

Prayer
God, I confess that I cannot run to You on my own. My heart is hard, cold, stubborn. So break it open and give me a heart of flesh. One that is alive, responsive, and ready to follow you now and forever. In Jesus name, Amen.

ITTT