Recently I was listening to the Daily Audio Bible on my iPod and I'm a little bit behind, so it was still in Ezekiel. However, sometimes even if you're off-schedule in your Bible reading, the timing of what you read can still be perfect.
That day's reading was the story about Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones.
37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lordsays to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 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.’”
7 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. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 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.’”10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares theLord.’”
For reasons that we can't really fathom, the year 2012 felt like a year in which we were nothing but dry bones in a dry, scorched desert valley. It was a tough year personally and in our ministry. Some days we depended a lot on the prayers of our friends and loved ones to put one foot in front of the other,. So we sort of ended out 2012 with a feeling of "good riddance," but I for one have been looking at 2013 with a lot of trepidation. Sort of a "What else is going to happen THIS year?" feeling.
This passage in Ezekiel gave me a lot of hope that as cut off as I have felt from the things and people that normally give me a sense of vibrancy and motivation and life, God can still restore me from His own Spirit and resources. That is my prayer, that 2013 will be the year in which God breathes new life into these dry bones and makes them live again -- not just live, but thrive.
This is a good opportunity to say to all of those who have been supporting us in numerous ways, but particularly in prayer throughout 2012: THANK YOU. There were days when I knew someone must be praying for me, and other days when I simply hoped someone was. The care packages brightened our days, and the contact with friends over Facebook, email or Skype was a lifeline. We look forward to increased partnership and relationship with our friends and supporters in 2013.
I know it's February now, but we wish you a 2013 filled with a renewed spirit and life.
That day's reading was the story about Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones.
37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lordsays to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 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.’”
7 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. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 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.’”10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares theLord.’”
For reasons that we can't really fathom, the year 2012 felt like a year in which we were nothing but dry bones in a dry, scorched desert valley. It was a tough year personally and in our ministry. Some days we depended a lot on the prayers of our friends and loved ones to put one foot in front of the other,. So we sort of ended out 2012 with a feeling of "good riddance," but I for one have been looking at 2013 with a lot of trepidation. Sort of a "What else is going to happen THIS year?" feeling.
This passage in Ezekiel gave me a lot of hope that as cut off as I have felt from the things and people that normally give me a sense of vibrancy and motivation and life, God can still restore me from His own Spirit and resources. That is my prayer, that 2013 will be the year in which God breathes new life into these dry bones and makes them live again -- not just live, but thrive.
This is a good opportunity to say to all of those who have been supporting us in numerous ways, but particularly in prayer throughout 2012: THANK YOU. There were days when I knew someone must be praying for me, and other days when I simply hoped someone was. The care packages brightened our days, and the contact with friends over Facebook, email or Skype was a lifeline. We look forward to increased partnership and relationship with our friends and supporters in 2013.
I know it's February now, but we wish you a 2013 filled with a renewed spirit and life.
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