We’ve had no rain.  It’s been an unprecedented drought on Lookout Mountain.  I watered the yard for a while but finally gave up–even after hours of watering, my gardens look hopeless.  

Random fires have broken out all around us. A week ago, my friend Sarah had fire come around three sides of her house. She showed me the black patches where her grass had been, some of them as close as two feet from her porch.

This morning as I write, I see an oak leaf hydrangea just outside my window.  It grabs my eye because it stands out among the lifelessness around it.  Its leaves are green, some vibrant red orange.  How has this lone hydrangea stayed lovely despite drought?    

One thing seems clear: somewhere underground, its roots found a spring. Finding a life source in dryness is what today’s passages are about.

Ezekiel 37-38

There are two extraordinary stories in these two chapters—the valley of dry bones that come to life and the war on Israel by Gog, Both start out dismally and end well, though the Gog story is more frightening.

Both events have the same goal, the same impact, which is this: that all over the world, believers as well as pagans will know who God is, Ez 37:28; 38:23.

I love the dry bones story for the hope in it for me personally, but also for what it shows me about who God is. He gives the vision to Ezekiel when the exiles are hopeless, “Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there’s nothing left of us,” Ez 37:13-14.

They look around and find nothing familiar, having been transported to Babylon after siege, disease, and famine in Jerusalem. If anybody’s got PTSD, it’s them. They’ve also been crying in their beer and saying God’s not fair. They pretend to be interested in what he says, but they don’t really listen. They don’t do what he says. The events they’ve gone through haven’t produced repentance, only despair.

I’ve seen this same sort of despair in someone who’s suffered a major life change. It’s human to look around and give up when we see where we are compared to where we’ve been. It’s easy to blame God rather than to ask him what’s up.

But God doesn’t scold or remind Israel what he’s done for them, and he could. He’s got a stellar track record. He’s provided and protected and cared over and over when all hope was lost. But events in the past when you’re hurting in the present aren’t all that consoling. What we need is something that speaks to us right where we are, like now.

Enter the dry bones. God uses the exiles own words of despair and puts flesh on them. Ezekiel speaks to the dead, dry bones in the vision at God’s order, and they listen, “Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!” Ez 37:4, MSG.

They stand and grow ligaments, muscle, and skin. Zeke speaks to the wind, and the bodies are filled with breath. They’re an imposing army of people, ready for war, Ez 37:5-10.

God tells his people that he’s listened to their complaint; he’ll dig up their graves and bring them out alive. He’ll take them straight to their precious promised land. “I’ll breathe my life into you and you’ll live.” And they’ll realize all over again that he’s God, Ez 37:13-14, MSG.

I’m intrigued by the fact that the dry bones listen. They listen to God’s word. I’m also intrigued that the God of Glory listens to dead, dry people, too. Surely there’s a lesson here if we’re willing to pay attention and listen.

There are lots of dry bones in my life, places where I don’t really believe God will work, places I ignore because I don’t know what to do with them, places where I’m stuck. God sees them better than I do. And maybe my dry bones can hear, too?

I’m kind of afraid to ask God to speak to them because part of me likes how quiet they’ve been. But God says he makes all things new; that he came to bring life abundantly; that there’s nothing he can’t do. I think he’s sad about my dry bones, too, Re 21:5, Jn 10:10 ESV, Lk 1:37, Jn 11:35.

So breathe on me, God. Bring new life inside where I’m dry. Help me trust you more than I’m afraid of what you’ll do. Sometimes the silence is deafening where I am. Whisper your words of hope right here.

James 2

Stop favoring the wealthy and influential; treat everyone as if they’re somebody. “God’s kingdom is promised to anyone who loves him.” Jesus chose lowly fishermen to be this kingdom’s first citizens, for goodness sake. Mercy for everybody wins out over judgment. Let kindness trump being right, Js 2:5-6, 13 MSG and NIV.

So stop separating words about your faith from doing them. Faith-talk without the action-deeds that support it is dead. “Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?” Js 2:17 MSG.

Abraham’s faith was proven by what he did when he offered his son to God. In the same way, what you do backs up what you say you believe. When you separate the two, what you have left is, welp, dry bones, Js 2:21-24, 26.

Psalm 116 

This psalm starts with, “I love God because…” I could fill in the blank with lots of reasons why I love God, but it’s the fact that he hears me and helps me that warms me most.

This is what the psalmist says, too, “…he listened as I begged for mercy…when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me…he showered me with blessings,” The writer’s bones must’ve been dry, but now he’s “alive in the land of the living,” Ps 116:1, 6, 9 MSG.

The rest of the psalm describes his exuberant joy and thanksgiving and how he expresses it.  He praises and prays, he keeps his promises, he encourages others, he serves—and all of this, “in company with [God’s] people, in the place of worship, in God’s house…,” Ps 116:12-19 MSG.

Our rescues aren’t meant to be kept to ourselves. They’re meant to be shared, so that others are blessed in the telling and are caught up in our joy. This is the best of what fellowship is. Your stories matter. Gather with God’s people and open your mouth!

Proverbs 28:1

“The guilty dog barks” as the saying goes. Solomon agrees. It also runs off when no one’s chasing. But the forgiven dog is relaxed and bold as a lion. A clear conscience is settling: a troubled one is edgy.

Prayer

God, I’m glad to be reminded that you are God and the troubles that tug me are not. You can dig up my grave and bring new life here. Please do. Forgive my valuing some over others in my circle. Make my walking-around-life match my talking-around-life. I want to live a bold and vibrant life before you.

In Jesus’ name.

Bible passages in Ezekiel, James, Psalms, and Proverbs come from today’s selections in The One Year Bible.