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Ezekiel 37:4-6 Then He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon 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'."  The congregations of today's typical church are much like to dry bones that Ezekiel found in the valley. The Lord brought Ezekiel to the valley of dry bones by His Holy Spirit. God wanted Ezekiel to see the results of the famine of the word of God. The nation of Israel became like these dry bones, just as our country has become parched and thirsting after the refreshing Living Water.
Our country is prime for a revival. We are going through a time when standing for our Lord is politically incorrect. The word of God has been watered down and modified so that none will be offended. Jesus had no problem with offending the religious leaders who were leading God's people astray. Many of our churches are filled with dry bones. Attendance is more related to social appearance or habits carried over from our past. The pews are filled with dried up bones that no longer have the breath of life in them. God, however has promised to breathe life into those dry bones. Verse 10 tells us that Ezekiel did as the Lord instructed him and breathed life into the bones that had gained flesh and skin. It tells us that 'breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.' God is putting flesh and blood and skin on His people who hunger after His righteousness. He is filling us with Living Water that brings life back into dry and weary churches that are struggling to survive. Many churches are dying from lack of the fire of the Holy Spirit. But with prayer and fasting and a willingness to seek God's will and direction, we can have the breath of the Spirit give us life again. These old dry bones can rise to dance again!!!
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Jeremiah 18:2-4 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you My message." So I went down to the potter's house and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.  I watched a potter working the clay many years ago. The process was slow and precise. He took special clay that he had chosen from his stock and put it on the potter's wheel. He worked out all the air bubbles so that when it was in the kiln, it would not crack or break. He slowly formed it with gentle pressure. He carefully formed the shape with his hands causing it to become what he had in mind for it. He frequently added water to keep it pliable and soft. When he was finished with the pot, he put it in the kiln to temper it and prepare it for use. The finished product was graceful and useful. It was beautiful in his sight.
The Lord is our Potter. He carefully forms us and shapes us according to the plan He has for us. He knows the finished product will be just what He wants us to be. He slowly and gently shapes us to be effective vessels in His storehouse. God is the potter. He is the God Who molds us. (Jehovah Makkah) He is a hands-on God Who loves us and is deeply involved in the process of making us all we can be. He sees us not only as we are, but He sees us as we can and will be if we are willing to submit to His molding. His desire is not to harm us but to shape us into His child. He delights in us and wants only the best for us. While we may not understand why we need to endure the pain and confusion of the molding and the heat of the kiln, He is with us every step of the way. Just as He walked in the fiery furnace in Babylon, He walks through the fire with us. We will never be alone. He is with us and loves us with a sacrificial love beyond what anything we can comprehend. John 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe." Jesus used His scars to prove to Thomas that He truly was raised from the dead and is alive. He was willing to use the pain and torment that He sustained to reassure and encourage. Thomas needed more than just seeing. He needed physical proof of what he was seeing.  We all carry scars from our past. They can be physical, emotional or even spiritual scars. They are what makes us who we are. Our past can dictate how we respond to what is happening in our present. We can use what we have learned from our pain. We can be better equipped to deal with the trials and struggles because we have learned how to cope and overcome.
Philippians 3:13, 14 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Many of us have difficulty leaving behind the cause of the scars we carry. We hold tightly to our anger and our pain. We are unable to let go of our grief. We are convinced that if we keep grieving, we will not forget the person we lost or the trauma we suffered. The Lord never meant it to be that way. Jesus reminded us that in this world we would have trouble but that He has overcome the world. He wants us to use the trials we endure to mature and grow. We can be a great deal of comfort to those around us who are struggling with the same fears and pain that we have endured. Being honest with others about our own struggles offers a promise that they, too, can make it through. Being open about our scars can help them to see that we do know what they are going through. Jesus has experienced everything we could possibly endure, yet He triumphed over the enemy's worst efforts. Jesus has promised to walk with us through life's challenges. He knows how we feel and is beside us every step of the way. When He walks with us through the valley, He can offer us comfort because He has been there. Genesis 14:19,20 And he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, (El Elyon) Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, Who delivered your enemies into your hand." Psalms 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  Throughout the Old Testament, El Elyon (pronounced L L E Own) is called God Most High. When we lift up His name and offer our praise and worship to Him, we use this name to remind ourselves that He is sovereign and He is worthy. Many times, we forget Who we are praying to. We may need to be reminded that He is in control. Nothing happens without His approval.
He is the one true God. He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth. He is the One Who took dust from the ground and created us. Not because He wanted puppets to bow down to Him but because He delights in us and deeply enjoys communing with us. He wants to hear our thoughts and feelings. He wants us to be totally honest with Him. We, however, tend to forget Who He is. We get into a prayer rut and don't honor the God Most High with all the reverence He deserves. Calling God by His name reminds us to see Him as He is. Daniel 4:9,10 gives a picture of His power and majesty. We have lost our awe of Who we serve. When your heart is hungry for a true picture of God, He will show Himself. Bringing our praise with a heart that desires a deeper relationship with God brings God nearer to us. Psalms is filled with the descriptions of God's power and glory. When we cry out to the Lord in our distress and pain and confusion, using His Name, El Elyon, will reassure us that He hears our petitions. He has a plan that is being worked out in our lives and the lives of those around us. He loves us. He in the God Most High. He will reign forever. |
AuthorPlease join us as we grow in Christ through our weekly devotions, written by Catherine Donaldson 
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