“Breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon
their feet.” (Ezekiel 37:10 NKJV)
Your hopes may be dead, your dreams buried, your body run
down, emotionally drained and spiritually weak. However, God can breathe life
into you again. Ezekiel stood in a valley of dead, dry bones. That’s about as
bad as it gets, right? Then something amazing happened. God said to the
Prophet, “Prophesy…and say…‘Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O
breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesied as He
commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their
feet, an exceedingly great army” (vv. 9-10 NKJV).
Personally speaking, I have had times in my journey when
I was so weak it took everything I had to speak in faith and believe God heard
me and say the exact thing. Those times are challenging and almost debilitating
to say. In fact you begin to reason away or ask why even bother to make the
effort. We are looking at self and limitations. BUT God turns it all around
even if it is only one degree. Hope begins to circulate through your heart once
again. Remember, any time you see a man or woman enjoying great success in
God’s kingdom there’s a good chance they’ve been through the valley of devastation,
hurt and rejection. Two example come to mind.
Paul-- It was after he had been thrown out of the city, stoned and left
for dead, that he spoke of being taken up into the third heaven and
experiencing things too wonderful to speak of on earth (See 2 Corinthians
12:2-4). David said, “In the day of trouble …my head will be exalted above the
enemies who surround me…I will sing…to the Lord” (Ps 27:5-6 NIV). That’s how
you praise in difficult situations, you are able to look back and say, “Thank
you for the experience, Lord. Without it I’d never have gotten to know You like
I do today.”
There is always something that God has planned just ahead
of you, but you have to get there and get through!! Please don’t let the appearance of defeat
cause you to shrink back. Instead boldly stand up with faith in God and declare
…‘Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on
these slain, that they may live.’
Blessings,
