Reading: Ezekiel 34 - 37
My Verse: "And he said to me, Son of man,
can these bones live?" (Ezekiel 37:3).
Spooky! Bone chilling! You, LORD God, bring Ezekiel to a valley full of the bones of a defeated army. You make him walk around amongst these bones and then ask him this question. Ezekiel, answers as a true man of faith, "O LORD God, you know." Even before the amazing events that follow Ezekiel is able to say basically, that You, LORD God can do whatever You choose to do. You are God Almighty and can bring life even to dry bones and to dead hearts!
Love this story. My son and I are working on a traditional Dena'ina children's story. It actually has a scene in it where Raven, who had supernatural powers, brings to life some sand people he has drawn. I did not connect these two stories before and yet there is such similarity. This reminds me of how there is this collective historical memory within cultures, even those cultures that have been isolated for long periods of time. You, LORD God, help forgetful peoples everywhere by instilling within their culture these markers of "redemptive analogies" as Don Richardson calls them in his book Peace Child.
In his other book Eternity In Their Hearts Richardson states this about cultures. "God, via general revelation, imprints human cultures in a variety of ways. Discerning the particular way God has already imprinted a given culture helps a missionary discover how to poignantly explain redemption to members of that culture." He calls it the "Melchizedek Factor." Paul used it when he went to Athens and taught about the altar to their "unknown god."
Every culture has imprinted within it a way of remembering You. Because we are such a forgetful and wayward people, You have seen to it that there is always a way for us to find our way back to You. I love that.
You are God Almighty! Nothing is too hard for You because You know all about everything that is - even the things that are bizarre, spooky and unfathomable to us!
I have been thinking much of late about "ease of mind." There are so many things in this world that can take that away from us. It is easy to become obsessed with something that takes our thoughts off of You, LORD God - then we become anxious.
This story is so wonderful in that it reminds me of Your overall power and love and care for us. You have all things in hand - nothing is beyond your power or ability to redeem. You can save the most vile and lost of men, renew his heart and life with Your love and mercy.
"I will plant a new heart and a new spirit inside of you.
I will take out your stubborn,
stony heart and give you a willing,
tender heart of flesh.
And I will put My Spirit inside of you
and inspire you to live by My statutes,
and follow My laws" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
You alone, LORD God, can free us and heal us enough to see You for Who You are.
You alone, LORD God, can enable us to be transformed such that we can see that which is good and acceptable and perfect!
You alone, LORD God, can give us ease of mind.
"Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).
Thank You for this story of the dry bones!
"Come Alive Dry Bones" sung by Lauren Dangle
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "And he said to me, Son of man,
can these bones live?" (Ezekiel 37:3).
Spooky! Bone chilling! You, LORD God, bring Ezekiel to a valley full of the bones of a defeated army. You make him walk around amongst these bones and then ask him this question. Ezekiel, answers as a true man of faith, "O LORD God, you know." Even before the amazing events that follow Ezekiel is able to say basically, that You, LORD God can do whatever You choose to do. You are God Almighty and can bring life even to dry bones and to dead hearts!
Love this story. My son and I are working on a traditional Dena'ina children's story. It actually has a scene in it where Raven, who had supernatural powers, brings to life some sand people he has drawn. I did not connect these two stories before and yet there is such similarity. This reminds me of how there is this collective historical memory within cultures, even those cultures that have been isolated for long periods of time. You, LORD God, help forgetful peoples everywhere by instilling within their culture these markers of "redemptive analogies" as Don Richardson calls them in his book Peace Child.
In his other book Eternity In Their Hearts Richardson states this about cultures. "God, via general revelation, imprints human cultures in a variety of ways. Discerning the particular way God has already imprinted a given culture helps a missionary discover how to poignantly explain redemption to members of that culture." He calls it the "Melchizedek Factor." Paul used it when he went to Athens and taught about the altar to their "unknown god."
Every culture has imprinted within it a way of remembering You. Because we are such a forgetful and wayward people, You have seen to it that there is always a way for us to find our way back to You. I love that.
You are God Almighty! Nothing is too hard for You because You know all about everything that is - even the things that are bizarre, spooky and unfathomable to us!
I have been thinking much of late about "ease of mind." There are so many things in this world that can take that away from us. It is easy to become obsessed with something that takes our thoughts off of You, LORD God - then we become anxious.
This story is so wonderful in that it reminds me of Your overall power and love and care for us. You have all things in hand - nothing is beyond your power or ability to redeem. You can save the most vile and lost of men, renew his heart and life with Your love and mercy.
"I will plant a new heart and a new spirit inside of you.
I will take out your stubborn,
stony heart and give you a willing,
tender heart of flesh.
And I will put My Spirit inside of you
and inspire you to live by My statutes,
and follow My laws" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
You alone, LORD God, can free us and heal us enough to see You for Who You are.
You alone, LORD God, can enable us to be transformed such that we can see that which is good and acceptable and perfect!
You alone, LORD God, can give us ease of mind.
"Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).
Thank You for this story of the dry bones!
"Come Alive Dry Bones" sung by Lauren Dangle
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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