Ezekiel 37:1-14
Dear Beloved in Christ,
Have you ever felt spiritually dry? Have you ever looked around and wondered, How did we get here? Maybe you feel weary, stuck in routine, or disconnected from the purpose and joy that once sparked your faith. Perhaps your church feels like a valley of dry bones—broken, scattered, lifeless. But hear this good news: God is in the business of revival!
Let us take a moment to look at a powerful vision shared by the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel lived during a time when God’s people were in exile, far from the land and the temple where they once experienced God’s presence. The people were spiritually lost, and their faith had grown cold. They had been defeated, and they were left asking, Can we ever live again? Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37:1-14 speaks not just to the Israelites of that time, but to us today—wherever we feel spiritually dry, broken, or distant from God.
The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones
Ezekiel’s vision is profound and unsettling. He finds himself standing in a valley full of dry bones—bones that are not just scattered but are beyond hope, bleached by the sun and lifeless. These bones represent a people who feel as if their strength and hope are gone, those who are spiritually dead. God asks Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” It is a question that seems almost ridiculous—How can bones, dry and disconnected, come back to life? But Ezekiel, in his wisdom, responds, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Then, God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones—to speak God’s word over them. As Ezekiel obeys, the bones come together. What was once lifeless is now reassembled—bone to bone, muscle to muscle, flesh covering the bones. But they are still dead—until God breathes life into them. The Spirit enters these lifeless bodies, and they stand up—a vast army, alive and ready for God’s work. (Ezekiel 37:4-10).
This vision is about hope, restoration, and the incredible power of God to bring life where there seems to be none. It’s a powerful reminder that God can bring us back to life—whether we’re individuals or a community that has lost its spiritual fire. The question God is asking us today is the same one He asked Ezekiel: Can these bones live again?
The God Who Revives
In our world, it can be easy to feel like dry bones. Maybe you’re facing burnout or spiritual fatigue. Maybe the church feels like it’s just going through the motions, with little passion, little zeal, and little sense of God’s presence. The weight of the world, struggles, and doubts may have left us spiritually dry, and we might wonder if we can ever come alive again.
But God is a God of revival! What seems impossible to us is possible with God. He is the God who raises the dead, who breathes new life into the dry and lifeless. Just as God brought the bones together and filled them with His Spirit, He is ready to do the same in our lives today.
God says in Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” God is always ready to renew us, to restore what’s broken, to breathe new life into what seems dead. It’s never too late for God to bring revival. Just as He restored Israel in Ezekiel’s vision, He desires to revive each one of us—individually and as a church.
In Romans 8:11, Paul reminds us, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in us! That means that no matter how dry we may feel, no matter how distant we may seem from God, the Spirit of God can renew us, revive us, and bring us to life again.
A Call to Revival
But this revival doesn’t just happen automatically. We must respond. Ezekiel didn’t just stand there and wait for the bones to come together. He spoke God’s Word over the bones. In the same way, we must speak life over our own hearts and our communities. We must declare the promises of God over our lives and trust in His ability to restore what is broken.
In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus warns the church in Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot… because you are lukewarm—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” This is a warning, but it is also an invitation. A lukewarm faith is not the kind of faith God desires. God longs for a people who are alive, passionate, and ready to serve Him with their whole hearts. But Jesus doesn’t leave us in despair. In Revelation 3:20, He offers hope: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
Jesus is knocking on the door of our hearts today. Will we open the door? Will we let the Spirit of God breathe life into us?
Three Steps to Revival
If we want to experience the revival that God promises, we must take action. Here are three steps to begin our journey of renewal:
- Pray for Revival – Start by asking God for a fresh outpouring of His Spirit in your life. Prayer is where revival begins. Ask God to stir your heart, to reignite your passion, and to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Speak Life Over Your Faith – Just as Ezekiel prophesied to the dry bones, declare God’s promises over your life. Speak His Word into your circumstances, and believe that God can bring about transformation. Read Scripture, meditate on His truth, and believe that God can revive what is dead.
- Take Action – Revival requires action. Live your faith boldly! Step out in obedience, serve with joy, worship with passion, and don’t wait for someone else to act. Revival happens when God’s people are willing to rise up and engage with His mission.
The dry bones will live again. God has not forgotten us. He is ready to revive us—to breathe new life into our hearts, our churches, and our world. The question is: Will we rise up?
