Dry Bones

In Ezekiel 37, God led Ezekiel to a valley of dry human bones. They'd been there a long time, but God asked Ezekiel, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

He replied, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

God then told him to prophecy to the bones and say, "'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."

Ezekiel did so and it says there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. Tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. They were now bodies instead of bones, but still dead things.

Then God said, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " So Ezekiel prophesied, and breath came into the bodies. They came to life and stood up on their feet. And they weren't just random people - they were a vast army!

Now what was the point of this somewhat creepy event? God afterward said to Ezekiel, "These bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them... Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live... Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' "

How often do you feel like a pile of dry bones? Your hope is long gone and you're just lying there, figuring that God's done with you. You're in the grave of your own making. God says he will bring you out from your grave and put his Spirit in you - then you cannot fail. He can bring you to life again and you will be a warrior!