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| "Can these bones live?" Ezekiel 37:3 |
Can you imagine taking a tour of a local cemetery, minus the
headstones with the graves exposed and the dead bones lying everywhere in plain
view? That is precisely the scene
described in the Book of Ezekiel, as the Lord takes him on a tour of a valley
full of dry, dead bones. Ezekiel
describes a scene where he is standing in the middle of a valley surrounded by dry,
dead bones. Not a trip I’d like to take.
But, God takes him there and questions him.
“Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O, Lord, God,
YOU know.” Ezekiel 37:3 A perfect answer
when you are having a conversation with the Lord. Best to admit, that, in His Presence, we scarcely
know our own name. Simply no
contest. God is God and we are not…
Ezekiel, knowing it is impossible for him to make these dry
bones live again, nevertheless acknowledges that God can do the impossible and
make even dead bones fill with life and dance on their own graves, if He so
chooses. The Lord, being the Lord,
instructs Ezekiel to “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, I will
cause breath to enter you, and you shall live…and you shall know that I am the
Lord.” Ezekiel 37:4,5
I find it odd, somewhat, that, as Christmas draws to a close
for another year, I am drawn like a magnet to these verses. I am humbled, once again, to remember that
God decides when and where He will take us to speak to us, just as He ruled the
time in Ezekiel’s life and took him to some shocking places. Why was this so shocking for Ezekiel and why
is it for me? Because it was dead. It was rotting. It was ugly.
It was hopeless. We don’t like to
look at those kind of things, especially not at Christmas, the birthday of the
baby Jesus. Let’s protect Jesus’ eyes from
this horror. And, while we’re at it, let’s
protect mine too. But, Jesus doesn’t
need protection. He knows these
realities better than we.
I have spent some wonderful moments with family and friends
this Christmas. But, in the middle of
the wonder and sparkle of Christmas, I smelled dead bones. I looked into eyes that were dead. I felt the cold chill of hopelessness sitting
across the table from me. I hugged stone
hearts that could not really feel my love.
Or God’s.
As I was reading these verses, I heard God say to me “I took
you on a tour of dry bones. Maureen, can
these bones live?” I have to say, Lord,
God, You know they can.
Are you dry and dead and out of all hope tonight? Are you ready to close the door and bolt it
shut for good? Are you giving up on
something – your future, your children, your marriage, your faith, your
calling, your God? Do you believe God
can make your dead bones live? Do you
believe He can breathe on you and make you live in ways you cannot even imagine? Do you believe God? That’s really what it comes down to. We can do all the religious rituals we like
to do to feel spiritual, but, is God really able to touch us in the dead
places? Do we really believe He can
bring new life into something we have decided to walk away from?
I have to admit, looking at dead corpses is scary. Carrying them around with us is even more
horrible. Why don’t we let God have His
way? I know. That’s pretty scary too. But, I want to believe He can do what He says
He can do. I want to believe He can make
the dead bones in my life and yours, live.
And dance. And shout the praises
of Our God. Because, then, we will know
that He is Lord...
I'll pray for you that, in this coming year, you will see God breathe new life into the dead bones in your life, wherever you have buried them. I'm counting on you to do the same for me...
