Dry Bones [Devotion]

I was reading the Bible this week when I came across a passage I wanted to share with you all. Ezekiel 37:1-14 recounts the Valley of Dry Bones, where God takes Ezekiel to a valley filled with the bones of a long dead army. As a sign of how God will restore Israel he raises the bones restoring their muscle and skin. It is a compelling and miraculous moment. But the part I want to share with you all is from the beginning. In verses one and two Ezekiel recounts, " The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry." Ezekiel, in only a few words, paints a picture somber finality. Not only is the valley strewn with bones, but the bones are, "...very dry," indicating that they have been there for quite a while. Then God speaks to Ezekiel in verse three, "And he said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?'" God asks Ezekiel a, seemingly, simple question. It doesn't need a doctor to tell you that these patients are too far gone. They aren't just dead, they are rotted away, and the bones are dry! In fact even though I've heard this account growing up and I know how it ends I found myself reading this and expecting Ezekiel to say something along the lines of, "No God... they're dead..." But how he actually responds took my breath away for a second. The rest of verse three gives us this response, "And I answered, 'O Lord God, you know.'" O Lord GOD, you know... this simple statement was so convicting and inspiring all in the same moment! God has Ezekiel walk through the carnage of death and when He asks Ezekiel if death, even death so final, can be undone Ezekiel's response is to lean on God's wisdom and understanding. Maybe he's uncertain if they can be brought back maybe he has full confidence that they could be up and walking around in a second at a word from God. It doesn't matter because his response is neither. His response is to trust that God knows the answer to the impossible. Sometimes in our walk God brings us to the edge of the impossible, shows us how impossible it is, and then asks us if it's possible. In those moments we must remember that the ways of God are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). As we read in Matthew 19:26, "But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  We might look at the seemingly impossible tasks set before us (whether that's making a film or living our daily lives) and be daunted. But we should not be afraid or discouraged (Joshua 1:9) because God is with us and in Him we can do all things (Philippians 4:13)! So, if you are in Him, face the valley of death and know that the God who raised the dry bones to life is the God who stands with you!