Dry Bones

By: Sarah MacKinney

Ezekiel 37 tells us the story of the dry bones. Ezekiel was taken by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones that were scattered everywhere. The Lord told Ezekiel to speak a prophetic message to the bones and say, "Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord. Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. You will come to life. Then you will know that I am Lord." And as he spoke the message, guess what began to happen?  Suddenly there were rattling noises heard all throughout the valley. The bones of each body came together and muscles and flesh began to form over the bones. The skin formed and covered their bodies but there was still no breath in them. As if that isn't cool enough! This is the really AMAZING part of the story. Again Ezekial spoke and said, "Come Oh breath from the four winds. Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again." Then they all came to life and stood to their feet, a great army. Wow! This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. I mean, we all know that God performed miracles because He is powerful and supernatural. But can you imagine looking over a large valley of dry bones and seeing muscle and tendon begin to attach; to witness breath being breathed into them and they actually got up and began to live?

Maybe you can relate to the dry bones. Maybe the joy has been snuffed out of you. Maybe due to a loss of a loved one or your job, stress in ministry, your busy schedule; all the demands of life have left you feeling overwhelmed, tired and well....dry. Perhaps you need a second wind. Perhaps you need the breath of God to breath on you and give you what you are lacking. Peace, joy, hope, restoration, self control. He longs to breath life into you again, He wants to give you fresh dreams, visions, desires and goals. He doesn't want you to wander around aimlessly in a valley of dry bones; He longs to restore you, and He knows just how to do it. I've been around many people in my life who were content to stay in the valley. Life had dealt them some very tragic and unfair hands, and they couldn't seem to find the strength to move on. I know grief firsthand and I know it is a process and for each one of us the timing is different. But when we become comfortable in our grief, complacent in our valley; then we run the risk of "drying up" for good. Sometimes it takes every ounce of strength we have to call on the name of the Lord, sometimes all we can do is muster a weak whimper asking God to reach down to us. I get it. I've been there. But I also know the Bible tells us that He is a strong tower where we can run for safety and refuge. We have the answer, we know where our source of strength and hope comes from. We know who has the ultimate victory, so we can take heart in any situation. We are also told in the Bible to cast all of our burdens on Him because He cares for us. He cares for you. Yes you, you reading this right now. The Nancy's of the world, the Tina's and the Carol's. The Karen's and the Jessica's. He see's you and He cares. You aren't invisible, your life isn't a mistake, you were made for more than dry valley living.

Make the decision today to call on the name of the Lord. Even if it is a whisper, call on the name of the Lord. Ask Him to restore, to refresh and refuel. Ask Him to birth ideas for your ministry, strategies for your marriage, renewed joy in mothering. Ask Him to put breath into your dry bones, to join together the tendons and muscles and joints of your soul. If He can do it for an entire valley of dry bones, imagine what He can do for you! We call out to dry bones, come alive, come alive!

Sarah