Cindy Donaldson, St. Luke’s member since 2012, Children’s Council chair, Moms of Littles Bible study co-leader

Ezekiel 37:4-6
“Actually, I do. Prophesy to these bones. Tell them to listen to what the Eternal Lord says to them: “Dry bones, I will breathe breath into you, and you will come alive. I will attach muscles and tendons to you, cause flesh to grow over them, and cover you with skin. I will breathe breath into you, and you will come alive. After this happens, you will know that I am the Eternal.” 

Reflection:
As I’m writing this in February, I’m reading by one lamp, bundled up, thawing out from a day without power, and keeping my thermostat as low as bearable to conserve energy for others. Though this devotional will be distributed a month or so after this ordeal, I’m sure everyone can relate to this not-so-distant memory of the historic winter storm and related aftermath.

Dry bones. Does anyone else feel it? Dry bones. Dry bones after a year of the pandemic. Dry bones over racial strife. Dry bones from a divisive political season. And now…dry bones after freezing for a week and worrying about those in much worse circumstances than mine. 

The first time the story of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37 spoke to me was after Hurricane Harvey. I was expecting our fourth child and having a difficult pregnancy. The devastation of Houston got to me, and I nearly lost our precious baby girl right in the middle of it all. I sank into a depression that was very uncharacteristic of me, and I felt like nothing more than a heap of dry bones.

Then I started to hear Lauren Daigle’s beautiful song “Come Alive (Dry Bones)” every time I turned around, which prompted me to dig into that scripture. In Ezekiel Chapter 37, our Lord takes the prophet, Ezekiel, through a valley of dry bones. At the Lord’s instruction, Ezekiel prophesies to the dry bones that God will breathe breath into them, and they will come alive. God attaches muscles, tendons, then breathes into the lifeless forms, and the bodies rise up again. Remember that the Hebrew word for “spirit” is also translated as  “breath.” God’s breath is the life-giving spirit to the bones that came alive.

In this chapter, the Lord says three times, “then you will know that I am the Eternal.” (verses 6, 13,14) Why is this significant? Because if the Lord truly is the Eternal, then the Lord is the keeper of the promises of scripture. And what are the promises of scripture? The promises I rely on include his promise of all things made new–when I am in Christ I am made new (2 Corinthians 5:17) and that ultimately ALL things will be made new (Revelation 21:1). Through the faithfulness of our Lord, even a heap of dry bones (like mine) can be made new.

Read on in the chapter to see how God is using this valley of dry bones to foretell the return of the Israelites to their land. But the miraculous thing about scripture is that it is also written for me. When I am nothing but dry bones, worn down by life’s circumstances and my own stores are depleted, I remember–with enormous gratitude–that I don’t need to rely on myself. I rely on the God who brings dry bones to life, who brought a crucified Jesus out of the tomb, and will make all things new again.

Prayer:
Dear God, creator of all things, help us remember that when our faith and trust is in you, your life-giving spirit can bring even our dry bones to life. The God who raised Jesus from the dead is the same God whose spirit brings me life. Thank you, Lord, for being a loving, redeeming Father. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.