Rise Up, Dry Bones

11 Then he said to me: “Son of
man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up
and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say
to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My
people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring
you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know
that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I
will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own
land. Then you will know that I the Lord have
spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:11-14

There have been ‘dry bones’ moments in my
life. You know the ones: where the heart
is dry and hope is gone.

There are times I’ve spent too much time in the valley of bones. I’ve set up camp there. I’ve looked around me and felt right at home among the dry bones.

But what can dry bones do for the Lord? Nothing!

He alone can breathe life into them. He alone can restore hope. He alone can cleanse and refresh a dry heart.

So when I ask him to breathe life into my
dry bones, I’d better be prepared for change.
I will no longer dwell in the valley of bones. I will walk among the living.

When did I stop believing that God’s grace
is sufficient? That nothing is
impossible for Him? That He owns the
cattle on a thousand hills?

Because surely I lost sight of these truths
to have allowed myself to dwell in the valley.
Were my circumstances so bad? Had
I become complacent, camping out with the spiritually dead? How long had it been since I’d opened His
Word?

I never want to dwell in the valley of
bones again. I want to run this race with
the life-giving breath of the Lord. I
don’t want to save anything for myself, but expend it daily with Him, knowing full well that He will supply all I need.

My circumstances may change, but He never
does. His promises never fail, and He is
always good. I want to dwell in His Word
and on my knees.

Thank You, Father, for breathing life into
these dry bones. Help me to live
according to your Spirit within me. Show
me how to glorify You with everything I do and say. Let me not be influenced by my circumstances,
but driven by a heart desperately seeking You.
Amen