Image from biblia.com
Hear the devotional: https://bit.ly/4aou934
View here: https://bit.ly/3K5dreB
1 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, you know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11 Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord." (Ezekiel 37:1-14 NRSV Bible)
I saw it just last night. A country where times are so rough that people get paid to live in cemeteries. They sleep on cold stone graves so they can ward off vandals. From inside what are normally quiet places comes the sound of music and television programs. Not quite what one expects from a cemetery. When we think of cemeteries we think of it truly being the final resting place. Now imagine a valley filled with dry bones. For many it says final resting place. No future. No life. No hope for anything; the worms have licked these once living beings to the bone!
In the midst of desolation and despair, Ezekiel found himself in a valley filled with dry bones a vivid portrayal of the state of the people of Israel. It was a scene of hopelessness, where all signs of life had withered away. But in this seemingly hopeless situation, God asked Ezekiel a crucial question: "Mortal, can these bones live?" It was a question that challenged Ezekiel's faith and understanding of God's power.
Ezekiel's response was humble and wise: "O Lord God, you know." He recognized that the power to bring life to the lifeless belonged solely to God. In response to Ezekiel's obedience, God commanded him to prophesy to the bones to speak life into the lifeless. As Ezekiel prophesied, a miraculous transformation unfolded before his eyes. Bones came together, sinews formed, flesh covered them, and breath entered them. What was once dead became alive, standing as a vast multitude before Ezekiel.
This passage serves as a powerful reminder of God's ability to bring life to the most hopeless of situations. It speaks of His sovereignty over life and death, His ability to revive that which seems beyond repair. Just as God breathed life into the dry bones of Israel, He can breathe life into our brokenness, our despair, and our hopelessness. He can resurrect dreams, relationships, and spirits that appear lifeless.
As we reflect on this passage, let us examine our own lives and the areas where we may feel like dry bones—where hope seems lost, and despair looms large. Let us bring these areas before the Lord in prayer, acknowledging His power to breathe life into them. May we, like Ezekiel, be obedient to God's command to prophesy—to speak life and hope into our circumstances, trusting in His ability to bring about transformation.
PRAYER: Loving God, We come before you with hearts heavy with despair and burdened by hopelessness. In our brokenness, we cry out to you, knowing that you alone have the power to bring life to that which is dead. Just as you breathed life into the dry bones in the valley, breathe life into our circumstances, our relationships, and our spirits. Revive us, O Lord, and renew our hope in you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Write down the areas of your life where you face hopelessness, and take those to the Lord to request Him grant you new life!
I love you and thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
