August 31

What is life without hope? What keeps us going if we are convinced that our situation will never change? Never improve? There is not a one of us with the patience of God. He gives us a long time to wake up, recognize the mess our sins get us in, and repent of our evil before He executes judgment. And, even when God judges individuals or nations, He is quick to encourage them with hope.
Make no mistake, it was because the people of God were no different morally than the pagan nations around them, that they were conquered and exiled to other lands. God had sent many prophets to warn them. God had given them many opportunities to repent. But, they wouldn’t listen. And now, they felt as lifeless and hopeless as old, dry bones. They felt like, “all hope is gone” (Ezekiel 37:11). Once again, God gives them a message of hope. Ezekiel was taken to a valley filled with dry bones. Everywhere he looked, all he could see were bones lying on the ground. God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones become living people again?” (37:3). Friends, we believe in a God with whom nothing is impossible (Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37; Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17; Ephesians 3:20&21). And God proves this over and over to confirm that it is true, and to give us hope even in the midst of our hopelessness.
Ezekiel did as God commanded him. He spoke to the bones the words God gave to him and the bones began to come together. Muscles and flesh formed on the bones. Skin covered the bodies. Ezekiel spoke again and the bodies began to breathe and a great army came to life (37:7-10). God was showing Ezekiel that if He was capable of bringing life back to dead bones, He was capable of restoring and redeeming Israel. This was the message Ezekiel was to give to the people of Israel: “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 and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You will see that I have done everything just as I promised” (37:12-14).
However dire your circumstances may currently be, and however low your life has sunk, remember that nothing is impossible with God. When we turn to Him, He will breathe life back into what appears to us to be a lifeless situation.