RAISING DRY BONES

KEY VERSE:
“I will put my spirit within you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.” — Ezekiel 37:14 (KJV)

INTRODUCTION:

In our previous meditation, we discussed the state of spiritual death and decay that some experience during their wilderness journey. As believers, we are not meant to remain in isolation or hopelessness when encountering such moments of dryness. Instead, we are called to be vessels of God’s life-giving power, bringing restoration to those around us who have fallen spiritually. Today, we’ll examine how we can, just like Ezekiel, raise dry bones and bring the breath of life to the spiritually dead.

MESSAGE:

1. Go Where the Need Is
   The Spirit of the Lord led Ezekiel to a valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1). God didn’t send Ezekiel to a comfortable place; He sent him to the desert where the need was greatest. Similarly, we are called to go into the spiritually barren places—to the lost, the addicted, the oppressed, and the broken. These are the places where God’s power can truly shine. We are to be His hands and feet, reaching out to those who need life, not just comfort.
2. Don’t Listen to the Voice of Man
   When God asked Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones, it must have seemed utterly impossible. Who would listen to the voice of a prophet speaking to a heap of dead bones? Yet, God told Ezekiel to prophesy life, and that’s exactly what happened (Ezekiel 37:4-10). We may face similar discouragements when others tell us it’s impossible to restore the broken or revive the lost. However, we must silence the voice of doubt and obey God’s call to speak life. Never let human limitations define what God can do.
3. Recognize the Seriousness of the Condition
   When faced with the spiritually dead or those dying in their sin, it’s important to recognize the urgency of the situation. They don’t need self-help, moral improvement, or mere rehabilitation; they need regeneration. Ezekiel was not tasked with embalming the bones or making them look presentable; he was called to speak the breath of life into them (Ezekiel 37:9-10). Similarly, we are called not to offer temporary fixes but to offer the Gospel that brings eternal life and transformation. The only true solution is the life of God within us.
4. Be Endued with Supernatural Power
   You cannot give what you do not have. A spiritually lifeless believer cannot infuse new life into others. Ezekiel needed the Holy Spirit to speak life to the bones, and we too need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to restore and revive others. Our ability to bring others to life is rooted in the life of God flowing through us. Without the Spirit, we can do nothing; but with Him, we can raise the spiritually dead to new life (Ezekiel 37:14). Allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you and bring revival wherever you go.
5. Know the Objective: Life, Not Morality
   The goal of Ezekiel’s prophecy was not just to tidy up the bones, making them presentable in appearance. The goal was to bring them to life! Similarly, when engaging with those who are spiritually dead, our mission is not just to offer moral teachings or societal improvements. We are called to bring spiritual life. Teaching morality or covering sin can temporarily mask the problem, but it does not address the root cause. We must aim for nothing less than new spiritual life through the power of the Gospel.
6. Look Around and Help Others
   As you journey through your own wilderness experience, remember that you are not alone. Many are walking with you, some weak, some hungry, some spiritually exhausted, and others who have fallen by the wayside. God has placed you in their lives for a purpose. Could it be that one of the reasons you are in this wilderness is to be a source of life and encouragement to others? Like Ezekiel, you are positioned at the edge of the valley to speak life to the spiritually dead. Rise up and be the instrument God uses to bring revival to those around you.

CONCLUSION:

We are called to be life-givers, just as Ezekiel was. There are dry bones around us—people who are spiritually dead, discouraged, or in desperate need of hope. We are not to walk past them, but to speak life into their situations. With the Holy Spirit’s power, we can raise dry bones and watch God breathe life into the spiritually dead. As you journey through the wilderness, don’t focus solely on your own struggles. Look around and see those who need the breath of God. You have been chosen to bring new life, so rise to the occasion and let God use you mightily.

PRACTICAL REFLECTION:

• Who are the “dry bones” around you that need to hear the Word of the Lord?
• Are you relying on your own strength or on the Holy Spirit’s power to bring life to others?
• Reflect on a time when you were spiritually dry. What revived you, and how can you now be a source of revival to others?

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Lord, fill me with Your Spirit and empower me to speak life to the spiritually dead around me.
2. Father, help me to recognize and respond to the needs of those who are struggling spiritually.
3. God, use me to raise up dry bones and bring revival to my community. Let me be a vessel for Your resurrection power.

FURTHER STUDY:

• Ezekiel 37:1-14
• Romans 8:11 (The Spirit that brings life)
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (New life in Christ)
• John 11:43-44 (Lazarus raised from the dead)
• Acts 2:17-21 (The power of the Holy Spirit)