Lent Day 13 - Ezekiel 37:4-10

The Valley of Dry Bones
Ezekiel 37:4-10:

"Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!  This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.  I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”  So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.  I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’”  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army."

The Valley of Dry Bones is a powerful visual image of what living a life apart from our God and Creator looks like. God brings the prophet Ezekiel to this valley, where nothing but dry, decayed bones are scattered. The bones are so dry that the connective tissue has disintegrated, leaving them disconnected from their skeletal foundation. Ezekiel is aware of the disgrace of the lives that once inhabited these bones, as a proper burial was neglected. The Lord is revealing to Ezekiel how the land of Israel and His people will be restored! The life-giving, resurrecting, restorative BREATH of GOD would enable the dry bones to rise up off the valley floor, reconnect, and live once again as a testimony to an all-powerful God.

God was not creating something new; he was reviving what was once alive and now lay dead on the valley floor. Think about that for just a minute. It is easy to begin something new; however, it takes an all-powerful God to revive, restore, renew, and resurrect something from death to life.

Today, read Ezekiel 37:1-14.

What needs restoration and revival in your life?
What needs to be redeemed and renewed so that it can be reconciled and resurrected?

PRAYER:
Father God, we come to you with uncertainties and unknowns that have depleted our weary and thirsty souls. We cry out to you today to breathe your restorative, resurrecting breath into our dry, weary bones, bringing us up out of our valley and into your glorious light and life. We are aware that the revival of your people and your church begins with us. Father God, have your will and way, breathe us back to life so that we may live as walking testimonies of flesh and bone alive and fueled by the power and presence of your mighty and Holy Spirit! Revive our hearts, restore what has been depleted, and resurrect what has died in our spirit. In the name of your Holy and precious Son Jesus Christ, AMEN!