I thought my life was over. Dead. Gone. Never to return. When my husband died from cancer at 33, I didn’t know how life could possibly go on. The future we dreamed about together, the vision we shared, the trips we planned, the dream home we hoped for, all gone. Wiped away in that one final breath. Bible Reading:“Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! … I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.’” - Ezekiel 37:4-6 I walked out of that stale hospital room putting one foot in front of the other, not knowing how I would take a million more steps without him. I was forced to begin again. From scratch. Ezekiel wrote this passage around 600 B.C. while living in exile. Jerusalem had been destroyed. Israel was conquered. The temple was gone. The people felt spiritually dead, defeated and scattered. “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.” - Ezekiel 37:11 During that dark season, God gave Ezekiel a vision: a valley filled with dry bones. Not recently dead, very dry. Long gone. God asked him, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel answered wisely, “Sovereign Lord, You alone know.” (v.3) The real question underneath the vision is this:Do we believe God can bring dead things back to life? God assured Ezekiel that He would restore what had been lost. “These bones are the whole house of Israel… I will open your graves and bring you up from them… I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live.” (vv. 11–14) Life can usher us into seasons so dark we wonder if light will ever return. We can find ourselves in valleys that feel permanent. Hopeless. But God is in the business of restoration. After my loss, I began to see my life slowly take shape again. Small pieces of hope returned. I noticed light breaking through. I felt a faint but steady glimmer of what my new life could become. God gathered the broken pieces and resurrected the hope that had once felt buried. He can do that for you, too. When we surrender our loss, our pain, and our hopelessness, we create space for God to rebuild. When Jesus died on the cross, the disciples were devastated. Confused. If He truly was the Son of God, why did they watch His lifeless body breathe its last and be laid in a tomb? A stone rolled over the entrance. It seemed final. Deep disappointment feels that way.Like the stone has sealed what we loved forever. But three days later, resurrection came. Just as Jesus rose from the grave, God can breathe life into the areas of our lives that feel buried. No matter how devastating the loss, when we seek Him in our disappointment and pain, we will begin to see dry bones stir. “After you have suffered a little while, He will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” - 1 Peter 5:10 Resurrection is still what He does. Let’s Pray: Lord, there are areas in my life that feel dead. I carry the ache of things I may never get back. I live with regret, disappointment, and moments of hopelessness. I wish certain things had turned out differently. They didn’t unfold the way I envisioned, and it’s hard to reconcile the dreams I once held with the life I’m living now. But Lord, I don’t want to live in hopelessness. I don’t want lost dreams to steal the joy from my days. I want to see your hand even in hardship. I want to trust that you can rebuild what has been lost. Help me to view my struggles through the lens of Your goodness and hope. I trust that you can bring dead things back to life. I believe that the same God who raised Jesus from the tomb can resurrect the places in my life that feel buried. I want to live with hope, with trust, and with the belief that hardship does not have the final word. You did not create us for a life of comfort, but for a life that reflects Your goodness, even when it’s hard. I believe that You work all things together for good for those who love You. Help me to see that goodness. Give me patience when change feels slow, and restoration seems far away. Teach me to surrender instead of control. Help me to keep bringing everything to You in prayer. And most of all, Lord, help me to live like Christ, encouraging others even as You are restoring me. Thank You, Jesus, for loving me through the difficulty. Thank You for my salvation. In Your precious name we pray,Amen. If you like this podcast, be sure to check out our sister podcast, Your Nightly Prayer - an evening Christian prayer podcast to help you end your day in conversation with God. https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
