Dry Bones

 There's a powerful passage of Scripture found in the 37th chapter of Ezekiel that's familiar to many. Familiar, but unrealized to most. God speaks to the prophet Ezekiel concerning the desolate and seemingly hopeless state of the nation and people of Israel. The nation had been conquered and most of the people enslaved and taken to Babylon. Or they were living in bondage in a land that was no longer theirs. Into this darkness and despair steps God the Father, the Lord of Hosts.

God will never be One to soften the realities before us. He shows Ezekiel the vision of a valley of dry bones. These bones signify both the nation and the people. There are few sights more hopeless than countless mounds of dried out, long dead bones, whose life had left them long ago. Yet in this picture God asks a simple but direct question. "Son of man, can these bones live?" Faced with such a picture, how would you and I answer? Ezekiel hands it back to Him, saying in essence, "Lord, only You have the answer to that one." To that one and all other ones as well, and it's here that He begins to give the answer.

In verse 11, He shows His awareness of the hearts and minds of His people, noting, "They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' but to this He speaks, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says, 'I will bring you back.....I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live.' " The chapter then recounts how the Lord spoke and the bones began to come together, took on flesh, and finally made alive again when He breathed His breath and life into them. What had been completely dead, dried up, and seemingly long gone, was given back. He gave it back. He gave it life. His life. New life. True life.

What in your life lies before you as a valley of dead, dry bones? What relationships with your mate, children, family, and friends, have become a valley of dry bones? What hopes and what dreams? What dead, dry bones from your yesterday's continue to lie before you, mocking, clinging, refusing to let go? What failures, sins, and brokenness? Can you believe that into them all He would come and ask, "Child, can these bones live again?" Can they? True, there are some things that need to die and be buried, but hope, joy, peace, wholeness, reconciliation, and restoration are never among them.

Satan, the enemy of our souls knows this, and will constantly seek to have us believe his lie that our lives can never be anything but dead, dry, yellow and lifeless bones. He does so because as John Eldredge writes, "The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one (satan) who knows what you could be and fears it." God knows what you can be. He created you to be that. He can cancel every trick, lie, ploy of the enemy and make His purpose real for you. Jesus came to bring abundant life. Whole life. Our driest bones can live, will live, overflowing with His life if we will have it. The life He gives and offers is before you now. Take it. Turn from all that brought you to that valley of bones. Receive the breath and healing of His life. Live again. Live as you were created to live. Do it now.

Blessings,
Pastor O