Dry Bones
Today’s scripture selection: Ezekiel 37-42
Key verse: Ezekiel 37:3
Dry; dusty; and very definitely dead – that described the vision of bones that the prophet saw before him.
There is nothing quite so final; so void of hope than death – especially when it is graphically represented by not just one or two bones but a whole valley full of them. Ezekiel must have been stunned by what he saw.
And then came the question, posed by God himself:
“Son of man, can these bones live?”
Ezekiel was wise enough and faithful enough, to not answer – but instead reply,
“Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Soon, what seemed hopeless was replaced with a vision of new life. Soon, what seemed to be stagnant sprang up, literally filled with the “breath of God.”
God spoke to those dry bones and said, “I will put breath in you and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”
It was more than a slick trick. It was more than God showing off. It was a picture for all generations to come that God is the source of life and the source of hope when all hope seems lost.
God brought new life to the people of Israel. And He can bring new life to you and me – no matter what.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Sovereign God, fill me with the breath of life, fill me with your Holy Spirit, let me breathe deep of the everlasting life you so graciously offer me. In Christ’s name, AMEN.
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By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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IGW3 - In God's Word, In God's Will, In God's Work 
Great post and great scripture that really demonstrates the power of God. Thanks for posting.
Thanks so much for your comment!