HARVESTER CHRONICLES CORNER

​December 2021
The Valley of the Dry Bones and Christmas.
A passage in Ezekiel may seem quite unrelated to the Christmas story, but when two different devotionals happened to refer to this unusual vision on the same day, I took notice.
Ezekiel 37 depicts God taking the prophet Ezekiel to the middle of a valley full of dry bones. God instructs Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones, saying, “Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life…Then you will know that I am the LORD.” The story goes on to show that the bones come to life and stand up on their feet – a vast army. God told Ezekiel that the bones represent the people of Israel, whose bones are dried up and their hope is gone. God promised to breathe life back into His people and give them hope!
What a clear picture of the Christmas story! Not only did God’s Spirit breathe a new life to form within the virgin, Mary, but the birth of Jesus also came to bring hope to a lost world.
Do you have a ‘valley of dry bones’?
A dream that has been put on a back shelf and is gathering dust? A diagnosis that seems to take your breath away? A struggle with addiction that robs you of life? A barrier to success that prevents financial security? Death of a loved one that leaves you alone?
God wants to encourage you that He is ready to breathe life into your valley of dry bones, and give you hope! Jesus has come to give you abundant life! We celebrate His birth this month. The world was full of darkness, discouragement and despair when, on a night long ago, God breathed life into a little baby born in Bethlehem. That breath of life then walked on the earth with men, finally giving up His breath to bring us salvation. Through the centuries, God has breathed life into us - countless ‘dry bones’ - and raised us up to an eternal life full of hope!
Whatever you identify as your ‘dry bones valley’, are you ready for God to breathe life back into it? Let Him do the miraculous!
“Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD…I will put my Spirit in you and you will live…Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.” Ez 37:13-14
Merry Christmas!