Dry. Barren. That is what the desert is. It is full of everything, but life. There is death. There is decay. There are bones. Bones of those who didn’t survive. Bones of those who wanted a better day and didn’t find one. Bones.
What if the bones could live again? What if the bones could once again be covered with muscle and flesh? What if the bones were filled with breathing lungs and a beating heart? What if?
I was reading my morning devotional today. In Ezekiel 37, the Lord gave the prophet a vision. He swept Ezekiel away and showed him a valley that was full of bones. The bones were scattered. They were dried out. Life was nowhere to be found. The Lord then asked a question, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”
I believe what the prophet saw was a metaphor for what God wanted to do with the nation of Israel. They were dead in their sins. Spiritually they were nothing, but bones. A dead and dry wasteland that God wanted to revive and make whole.
In this vision Ezekiel watched as the bones were scattered, became reattached to form skeletons, were covered with muscle and flesh, and finally had breath breathed back into their lungs. The valley that was once only dead bones was alive and now a vast army of the miraculous.
There has been more than one season in my life where I felt completely dry. It seemed it had been ages since I had felt the cool wind on my face. I was frustrated. I was hurt. I needed God and had to admit it. And then…
God showed up. He healed. He restored. What was once a dry waste land was now my life that was vibrant and alive. I know that God was watching over me. He was waiting patiently for me. He wanted to restore me. I just needed to do what Israel needed to do…I needed to draw close. I needed God. I found Him. I found Him in my health. I found Him in my career. I found Him in my relationships.
I believe that God is a healer. He is the restorer. There is a reason the Bible says if you draw close to Him, He will draw close to you. If you are far away from Him today, please don’t wait any longer. He is only as far as a breath. He wants you to talk to Him. Tell Him your struggle and frustration. Admit your failures. Accept the plan He has for your life. You may be dry bones now, but wait until God shows up. Show up He will.
David Willis 