The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit
of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the
valley floor. They were scattered
everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become
living people again?” “O
Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to
these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: 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. I will put breath into you, and
you will come to life. Then you will
know that I am the Lord.’” So I
spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly
as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and
attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the
bones. Then skin formed to cover their
bodies, but they still had no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic
message to the winds, son of man. Speak
a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O
breath, from the four winds! Breathe
into these dead bodies so they may live again.’” So I spoke the message as he commanded me,
and breath came into their bodies. They
all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones
represent the people of Israel. They are
saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’
Therefore, prophesy to them and
say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my
people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of
Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I
am the
Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again
and return home to your own land. Then
you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NLT)
God showed Ezekiel a great valley filled with dry
bones, very dry bones!
God said to speak to the bones; Ezekiel did, and they came back
together. Then God’s Spirit entered them
and they walked and spoke!
Now, just about that time I would have been “outa-there”! Dead, dry bones rattling and talking scare
me.
But God was showing Ezekiel that His Spirit can bring
life where death has reigned. God’s Holy
Spirit is the unseen, but central ingredient to anything like revival. Without Him there is no revival. His Spirit can bring renewal and revival to
even dead religious folks. The Spirit of
God raises-up even a people who have lost hope!
That can be the legacy of anyone who is ready to keep your
eyes on Jesus, pattern your life after Jesus, and be ready to give yourself to
this world in the name of Jesus. Where
once there was a valley of nothing but parched bones of hope there can be new
life.
For You, Today…
Are you
listening deep within for the call of God’s Spirit on your life?
Why not spend a
little extra time with God today; be still, hear his voice. You just might hear the rattle of dry bones;
it’s called “revival”.
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