Notes
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Eternal life begins the moment we give our lives to Jesus. To walk in that newness means to experience this new, eternal life and the purpose we have in Him. But there are many people still living in their old lives, without Jesus.
The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”
“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”
Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”
Ezekiel 37:1-14
It wasn’t the bones, flesh, or muscle that gave these skeletons life; it was the breath of God in their lungs. This is how God restores the broken: He breathes life into us. God wants to do something about our dry, desolate situations. So how do we, as the Church, fit into that plan?
1) Speak
Speak hope into hopeless situations. Speak hope to those living in darkness, to those who are living like dry bones in the desert. Don’t give up on people! God’s life is for everyone who will receive it. Together as the Church, we are a prophetic voice to the world.
2) Breathe
Breathing spiritually is about submitting to the authority of God and letting Him breathe in us. With God’s breath in us, we can start seeing things from an eternal perspective, instead of just seeing what is right in front of us. God also gives us the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and gives us fresh air. He is there to empower and guide us as we live out our purpose.
3) Gather
Gather yourself to a bigger cause. Connect with the local body of believers. Salvation is a gift for us, and a tool for God to further His Kingdom, and to do so it takes all of us together, using our gifts with a mission-minded focus. Life will not be struggle-free, but you will be fulfilled. And if your mission doesn’t reveal the glory of God, you are missing out!
Group Questions
- What does it mean to have a new life in Jesus?
- When has someone spoken hope into your life?
- What is the importance of gathering together with other believers?
- What is being mission-minded?
Prayer
Thank you for your life-giving breath. We pray for those living in a dry valley, for those who feel hopeless or desolate. Give us the words to speak hope in hopeless situations and guide people to you.