This morning the Lord told me to speak to the dry bones. I wasn’t
quite sure what He wanted me to say, especially since that’s all He said. So if
you have been a reader for a while, you know I had questions. My thought was
that it’s early in the year and folks have been fasting and praying, having
fresh starts and declaring things over their lives. I wondered about the timing
of such a message and thought about it most of the morning. Then the Lord
instructed me to read the entirety of Ezekiel 37 and see what I saw. Initially,
all I saw was a familiar story and message about renewal and being restored by
God’s spirit. But then one line in verse 9 caught my attention.
“Next he said to me, “Prophesy to the
breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Come from the four winds, breath;
and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.’” (Complete
Jewish Bible)
I looked through so many translations and
particularly to this one that really captures the meaning of the Hebrew words.
I saw a word that I don’t think I had ever paid attention to: SLAIN. It’s the
past tense of the word slay and it means to kill violently, wantonly, or in
great numbers; to strike down. God was speaking to a people that had literally
been taken out by sin, disobedience, separation, and life. They had reached a
point that their very essence was taken from them. They had nothing left but
the shell of who they were. God had to come in and take them from nothing and
rebuild them. From the ligaments that allow them to move to their flesh that
covers them to their breath that allows them to actually live. He was making an important statement about
His power. He was reminding them that He has the power to resurrect and to
restore, even what circumstances, disobedience and sin have killed.
Maybe this sounds crazy to you but as I was
reading, God began to show me you. He began to talk to me about how people have
caused some of you to lose your passion and your purpose. He showed me how sin,
disobedience and bad choices have made some of you stray so far from the
relationship that you once had. He even showed me how the enemy has worked so
hard in your life, that your breath is suspended. You literally have to work to
breathe. You have been slain spiritually; killed and left to dry out. But
today, God has told me to told me to speak to your dry bones and breathe life
on your sadness. He has told me to breathe life on your stagnation. He has told
me to breathe life on your fear. God is telling you to rise up, woman of God
and get about His business. Stop letting individuals shape your dream. Stop
allowing men to dictate your progress. Stop marching around a mountain that I
told you to speak to. God is telling you to stand up, man of God and lead your
family. Stop letting what “the man” has given you dictate how far you go. Stop
letting your children find you on the couch on Sundays while they are heading
out to church. Stop letting your pride keep you from asking for help. Receive
the breath, dry bones!
I don’t particularly like when God gives me
groups of people to speak directly to like that because others take it as a
sign that God isn’t speaking to them. But here’s the thing! Today, God was so
serious with me. He said it’s time for all of you to live. Not just exist and
do what you are comfortable in doing but really LIVE. Life in Christ means
loving people when it’s hard. Life in Christ means being obedient when He tells
you to do the challenging thing. Life in Christ means that you don’t stay at
the point of your crucifixion but you get up again to live.
In Ezekiel 37:12 -14, God says “Behold, I will open your graves and cause
you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the
land of Israel. Then you will know that I am
the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of
your graves, My people. I will put My Spirit within you and you will come
to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’” (NASB) Do you get it? God is telling
you to get up out of that grave so that He can place you where you need to be –
your own land! He’s making you stop feeling sorry for yourself. He’s making you
stop wasting time. He’s making you stop waiting on your situation to change and
do what He said. He’s making you get off your high horse and acknowledge that
you don’t know everything. GET OUT OF THAT GRAVE! That’s when you will know
that He is Lord! That’s when you will know that you are alive again. That’s
when you will know that the Lord spoke it and did it!
So what are you going to do? Are you going
to stay in that dead place, feeling sorry for yourself? Are you going to keep
wondering why this happened to you? Why they had to leave you or they had to
die? Are you going to write that book? Are you going to start that business?
Are you going to be a better spouse? What are you going to do? God has sent me
to your valley and instructed me to get your attention. He’s told me to speak
to your dry bones and send fresh air your way. Why? Not because I’m so special
but because He’s ready to use you to do great things in the earth and none of
it will get done from the grave. Get up, dry bones! It’s time to take off those grave clothes and live…
Amen
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