Tues.’s Devo - Can These Bones Live?

Read: Ezekiel 37:1-38:23; James 1:19-2:17; Psalm 117:1-2; Proverbs 28:1 God took Ezekiel in the Spirit to a valley scattered with dried bones. He asked him if the bones could become alive again and Ezekiel told God only he would know the answer to that. The Lord told Ezekiel to prophecy for those dried bones to listen to what God says about them. He said they would live again. He would cover them with muscles and skin. Then He would breath life into them. *** As Ezekiel spoke God’s words, it happened! The bones came together and reattached to their parts. Muscles and flesh covered the bones but they still had no breath. Ezekiel was told to prophesy to the winds to come and breathe into the dead bodies so that they could live again. When he did, they came to life and stood to become a great army. *** God told him that these bones represented the people of Israel. They thought all hope was gone but God said He could bring them life with his Spirit. *** What in our lives have we lost all hope in? Is it a marriage, a family issue or breach, a dying business or an illness? We are to prophecy our destiny into the situation and God’s Spirit to come and bring life. God is true and his Words are life. *** God told Ezekiel to take two pieces of wood and write on one “Judah and its tribes” and on the other hand”Ephram and the northern tribes.” He was to hold the two pieces of wood in one hand and raise it and prophecy its destiny. They would be brought back together and be one nation. They would not pollute themselves again with idols God would cleanse them and they would be his people and he their God. *** David would be their king (speaking of Jesus). He spoke this over generations to come. *** Ezekiel was told to prophecy against Gog and Magog, Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya. God would come against them as their enemy. In the far away future, they would come against Israel while they are enjoying peace after they recovered from war and returned to their land. They will think they can attack them and rob them of their silver and gold. When this happens the whole earth will quake with the presence of the Lord. The enemy will end up killing one another and God will rain down hailstones, fire, and sulfur. This will be the final battle on the earth. *** In James, we are given three commands: be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry. These sound easy, until something stirs us to up, then they are not that easy. God’s words have been planted in our hearts which have the power to save our souls, so they can surely keep us from getting angry. *** Not only do we need to listen, but we need to act on God’s commands. If we do this, it will help us to control our tongue. *** James defines pure religion as caring for the orphan and the widows who are in distress and refusing to let the world corrupt us. He defines the poor as being rich in faith. We are all commanded to have mercy and compassion and show it with our works. *** Lord, may we have your heart when it comes to the poor. Help us to know how to best meet their needs. May we prophesy to the impossible things in our lives and see them live again.