NO BIBLE NO BREAKFAST DAILY BIBLE REFLECTIONS AND MORE

SCRIPTURE READINGS

EZEKIEL 37:1-14

ROMANS 8:1-11

JOHN 11:1-45

SUNDAY REFLECTION

Dry bones shall live is the theme for our reflection. “Dry bones” is a situation or condition of hopelessness. To live means to remain alive. Dry bones shall live means that a condition of hopelessness or death shall be restored or revived. In our reflection, we shall consider the following facts:

1. We become dry bones when we live according to the desire of the flesh and not by the Spirit of God.
2. Dry bones shall live through the restoration of God’s Word which is spirit and life.

First, we shall experience a situation of dry bones in our lives when we continue to live by the desires of the flesh and not by the Spirit. Paul admonishes us that “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ (Romans 8:5-9). In other words, our fleshly desires will lead us into the grave where we shall become dry bones, but when we live in Christ and are empowered by the Holy Spirit, there is no way we shall become captive to sin and eternal death. Let us draw closer to the Lord in this lent season and beyond through repentance and desire to walk in the Spirit always.

Second, regardless of our situations, our dry bones shall live by the power of God’s Word through faith. The dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision represent the nation of Israel, especially those who were in captivity in Babylon. The people felt like dry bones in a grave when they were in exile far away from home. They had lost hope in the hands of their captors. It was at this time that the Lord sent Prophet Ezekiel to speak His Words of hope and restoration to the nation of Israel. Ekeziel spoke to the exiles in captivity “Then he (God) said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD. (Ezekiel 37:11-14). Beloved in the Lord, just like the Israelites who were in Babylon, you may also find yourself in a situation of captivity. It may be a financial, marital or some challenge of a sort that has entangled your life and continue to give you sleepless nights and anxiety. Your situation may sometimes make you feel like a dry bone in the grave with all hope lost and no one to turn to, but the assurance we receive through Ezekiel’s vision and prophetic declaration is that the Word of God is Spirit and life, It revives and gives hope. It is, for this reason, Jesus assures us in John 6:62 that “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” We see the manifestation of the power of the Word as spirit and life to revive hopeless situations, when “Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” (John 11:43-44). Beloved in the Lord, it does not matter how long your hopeless situation had lasted or deteriorated, “Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:39-40). Dear friend, the Word of God is Spirit and life that restores hope and brings about revival in the life of those who believe. Don’t give up, trust, and obey God even in your challenges, and your dry bones shall experience the revival of the Lord. We have been further assured in Jeremiah 29:11-14 that “… I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

In summary, the theme for our reflection is “dry bones shall live.” In our reflection, we have acknowledged the fact that we become dry bones when we live according to the desire of the flesh and not the Spirit of God. Again, regardless of our dry bone situation or condition, when we turn to the Word of God in faith, our dry bones shall live or revive because the Word of God is Spirit and life. May the Holy Spirit revive our dry bones in this lent season and beyond so that we shall forever live according to the desire of the Spirit and not the flesh, even as we await our final redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.