Dry Bones (The House is A Mess-Part 2)

Ezekiel, a prophet, wrote in his book in chapter 37 about a vision that God gave him. It says (I'll summarize some of it but please understand this is me summarizing and I encourage you to go directly to the word of God for perfect information) that the Holy Spirit brought Ezekiel to a valley covered and filled with dry bones. God inquired of Ezekiel whether or not the bones could live and Ezekiel responded that only he, the Lord, could know that. Then God asked Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones and tell them that God is going to breathe life into them; he's going to cover them with skin and attach tendons and flesh - all this so that they would know that he is the LORD. So, Ezekiel obeys and bones come together; tendons begin to attach bone to bone and skin covered them - but there was no breath.

So God again tells Ezekiel to prophesy that breath will enter these bodies - breath from all four sides - so that the bodies may live. And Ezekiel again obeys and the bodies come to life and stand up. Then God told Ezekiel that the dry bones stand for the people of Israel. And the Lord then tells Ezekiel to prophesy to Israel the following:

'The Lord and King says, "My people, I am going to open up your graves. I am going to bring you out of them. I will take you back to the land of Israel. So I will open up your graves and bring you out of them. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You are my people. I will put my Spirit in you. And you will live again. I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I have spoken. I have done it," announces the Lord.' Ezekiel 37:12-14

In a previous post of mine titled "The House is A Mess" I shared that I was struggling with finding time to sit with God; since that time, I have recommitted to spending time with God. I spent this past weekend at a spiritual retreat called Cursillo and was challenged to be intentional. While pondering what God wanted me to be intentional about I was convicted of this time that I spend with God. I have been putting in the time physically, but emotionally and spiritually, I was not committing the time to God. My bones were dry.

I was intentional this morning: intentional about reading the Bible and not moving past a scripture until I understood it or received a blessing from it. I have been reading through some of the Old Testament books and just happen to be in Ezekiel right now; and this morning, when I started, I found my bookmark at Ezekiel 37. Coincidence? I don't think so-I don't believe in coincidence!

God confirmed this morning what I know to be true about him. He does not want me to be spiritually dead and that he will "put his spirit in me and I will live again." Not only did God speak to me today in scripture, but he spoke directly to me about what I was convicted of. And he reassured me that if I am willing to be intentional, he will not leave me with dry bones.

Are your bones dry? Do you need "new breath" in your life? I encourage you to seek God's heart and be INTENTIONAL!