Day 29

The old saying goes: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” After giving Ezekiel a prophesy for His people, one too grand to comprehend, God gave a vision to help him understand. Setting Ezekiel in a valley covered in dry bones, the Lord asked him, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel responded, “O Sovereign Lord, only You know” (Ezekiel 37:3).

God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, saying:

“Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!This is what the Sovereign Lord says, ‘I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life…Then you will know that I am the Lord’” (Ezekiel 37:4-5).

God gave a vivid picture to portray what He would do for His people. Years of rebellion against God left the nation of Israel exiled in Babylon, spiritually lifeless and void of hope. They were like a valley of dry bones. Yet their faithful God would one day restore them. The fulfillment of the prophecy continues to this day:

“I will gather you from the nations and bring you back to your land. I will cleanse you from your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees” (Ezekiel 36:24-27).

Ezekiel prophesied about the grace of God. God breathes His life, His Spirit, into His people. As we seek Him, God moves us to follow His decrees. Having been cleansed at salvation, God will continually cleanse us from all unrighteousness: the sin in our lives that hinders a right relationship with Him. As God delivers us from our sin, we know through personal experience that our God is the LORD and that He alone brings life to our souls.

Ask God to reveal any “dry bone” areas in your life. Then, ask Him to reveal the life that His breath, His Spirit, longs to give you.