Day 20

January 28

Holly Armstrong

Ezekiel 37:4-6

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.’” 

Sometimes all hope can seem lost. Are you in a marriage or relationship that seems hopeless? Have you been battling with infertility or something else that just breaks your heart time and time again? Does your job or financial situation make you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle, that you can’t get ahead no matter how hard you try? Or maybe your health is declining without any more treatment options, and you just feel broken and depressed? Or, maybe you have lost faith in something like the church, the government, or perhaps humanity as a whole, and all hope just seems lost? Whatever you are dealing with today, sometimes that feeling of hopelessness can just feel utterly overwhelming. God, however, does NOT leave us in our despair to walk the valleys alone. In fact, sometimes, he purposefully allows us to enter a valley, just so we can see Him and his power a bit more clearly. In Ezekiel 37, the hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel, and it set him down into a valley that was full of dry bones. God then spoke to Ezekiel, telling him to prophesy to the bones, to command them to come alive again – with the purpose of knowing that God is Lord. Ezekiel obeyed God’s command, and with a rattling, the bones came together, with tendons, flesh, and skin. Again, God spoke to Ezekiel and commanded him to prophesy for a breath to enter into those bones. And again, Ezekiel obeyed, and the breath of God turned dry bones into a new living army. What seemed utterly hopeless and dead became alive again.

God took Ezekiel into a valley so he could see more clearly. (What valley is God having you walkthrough? Are you just angry at God for placing you there, or are you like Ezekiel and you have the willingness to go where God leads, wherever that might be?)

God commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones. (What is God asking of you today about your particular situation? Are you taking the time to listen to God’s voice in your life?)

Ezekiel obeyed God’s commands. (Are you willing to do whatever He asks, no matter how ridiculous it might sound to human ears – like talking to a bunch of dead bones? Or are you hesitant to obey because it just seems too impossible?)

God spoke breath into those bones. (Without the Holy Spirit, nothing that was once dead can ever become alive again. Do you have the faith and patience to wait for the Holy Spirit to move into those dead areas of your life?)

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I pray today for anyone who is struggling with hopelessness. Sometimes scenarios can simply seem impossible, too hard, too dead. Father, I pray that you give every person reading this hope. May they realize that you promised to walk through the valleys with them. May you give them fresh eyes to see your magnificence and fresh ears to listen to your commands. May you give them the faith to believe that you are more powerful than they could ever imagine. And may your Holy Spirit breathe life into their souls….so that others may know that YOU ARE LORD! Thank you for being patient with us as our faith grows, and most importantly, thank you for never leaving us alone.

In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.