Sucked dry

Sucked dry.

It’s the kids needing help with school…
or a grocery list that needs to be made.
It’s the need for somewhat clean clothes…
And the desire to have clean dishes to eat off of.

Sucked dry.

From discouraging words…
from defending our convictions…

Sucked dry.

From these little people who need direction and discipline every. moment. of. the. day…
and from all the mouths that need to be fed.
From having to be creative to stretch the dollar.

Sucked dry from questions about how to build a marketing strategy…
or what toy is reselling well today.

Everywhere I turn I am pulled by something demanding my attention and it drains me today… to the core.

Ever feel this way?

Dry.
To the bone.
Nothing left.

Dry bones.

“Can these bones live?”

“Oh, dry bones ~ Hear the Word of the Lord.”

I knew I had heard this story numerous times… a story about dry bones.
Those words described my heart in this moment so I found myself digging for the story.

In Ezekial, chapter 37, verse 4:
“Dry bones… HEAR the Word of the Lord.”

Time to turn this heart of ‘dry bones’ to my Bible… the Word of the Lord.

Look what I found.

Verse 37:1-3
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

Verse 4
Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.“

And that is what happened!
After a big rattling and noise, Ezekiel witnessed the bones coming together and being covered with muscle, tissue and flesh.

Verse 7:
“So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”

This incredible vision is explained in the verses that follow.
The bones are the house of Israel… God’s people.
Dead.
Sucked dry.
Ashes.
Hope gone.
Dry bones.

But, it is Jehovah who opens the graves… and breathes life in His people.
It is Jehovah who brings His people to the promised land.

verse 13:
“Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’”

Why does it surprises me that my God takes dried up bones and gives them life?

He is a turning God.
Always taking the ugly and broken.
The hopeless.
He takes wild lament…
and transforms it all to whirling dance.
To beautiful.
To LIFE… abundant.

Are your bones sucked dry?

Turn to God’s Word…
and let Him breath LIFE into them.
Sweet, abundant LIFE.