DRY BONES OR LIVING BEINGS?
Dear Friend,
I am so glad to be able to reach you with this word of hope that will transform your life. Whatever you do in the coming weeks, I want you to make time to read this Ezekiel 37 series; I know it will encourage you.
Let’s get started. I’ve learnt that the experiences and situations we go through ultimately bring about the results we imagine. How do you perceive your current situation? As dry bones or living beings?
Ezekiel 37(KJV)
1 The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
The hand of the Lord is powerful. This hand touched a blind man and he received his sight. In these hands lie blessings and curses, mercy and judgment. The Psalmist said it does ‘valiantly’. This hand is capable of any and everything; As little as my hands seem, many times, I am amazed at the things they can do. I know they look like God’s but I think He’s are grand! I say this because Ezekiel could have been on a mountain or even a plain until that moment the hand of the Lord took him and of all places took him to the valley of dry bones. Friend, it doesn’t really matter where you are or how you got there, I want you to know that God’s hand can reach you.
Isaiah 59:1a (NASB)
Behold the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save.
2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.
Ezekiel said that God caused him to pass by them on all sides. Sometimes there are situations you observe from afar but you’re not in the midst of it yourself, like being among dry bones but not dry yourself. Have you ever been there.
I declare that you will not become dry, God will send rain in due season to refresh you, you will experience the blessings of the Lord, where there’s been lack I speak abundance and darkness – light. You will not grope in the dark even if you’re around folks who are; God will give you insight on how you can improve your situation. Maybe , what you are going through is such that you’ve termed “very many – very dry”, Friend, I want you to know that it isn’t too many or much that God can’t handle neither is it so dry or dead that God can’t make it green or alive again.
Romans 8: 28 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose for them.
Psalm 34(NKJV)
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”
You may ask, is this a trick question? God is Omniscient; He knows all things including my answer; so why would He ask me questions? Friend, God will not take any glory in asking you a trick question you can’t answer. God asks questions to prod you to think and sometimes to establish a basis for what He’s about to teach you. Answers are products of our imagination, what we think, basically the things on our minds. Our imaginations often spring from the things we know – information and there are many sources of information.
Many times, our answers are designed to take us into our next level. In any level of education, before you are moved up a grade, you are required to sit down and answer some questions – we call them exams. For every question, there is a right answer and God help you if you don’t answer them correctly. You fail; and at times are given the chance to retake or remain where you are; sometimes you’re awarded a mark for giving a logical answer. If you were to answer this same question God asked Ezekiel, will the basis of your answer be faith, fear or ignorance? How have you been answering the questions God has been asking you lately? Ezekiel answered correctly and as a result was released to prophesy; if he hadn’t , would God have moved on with the programme? Selah!
4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
Everything God has made responds to words. God said to Ezekiel, speak to the dry bones, and tell them to hear the word of the Lord. The word of the Lord is the word of faith.
Romans 10:8b (KJV)
The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
The Word of the Lord is like fire; and as a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces, it is sharp, it is powerful, it’s like a two-edged sword, it can cut. The word of the Lord is truth and stands against every lie there is. So watch what you say especially when you’re going through. Make it a habit to regularly speak the word of faith – that word you’ve heard from the Lord.
More in this series:
through her mind. No husband, No son, no one to call her own, “Can I bear this all alone?” she thinks? To make matters worse, she perceives the aroma of his favourite meal being prepared by the mourning women and she contemplates waking him to eat but realizes she cannot because he’s dead. Immediately, tears begin to fall from her eyes but suddenly and amazingly she hears a voice whisper tenderly in her ears “Don’t Cry”.