February 16: Can These Bones Live?
You’ve tried before. You’ve failed before. Some part of you suspects you’re just too far gone.
“And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:”
God set Ezekiel down in a valley full of bones. Not recently dead. Very dry. The kind of bones that have been bleaching in the sun for years. Then God asked him a question: can these bones live?
Ezekiel gave a careful answer. “Lord, You know.” He couldn’t see how. But he didn’t rule it out.
Then God told him to speak to the bones. And as he did, there was a rattling. Bones came together. Sinews and flesh came on them. Breath entered them. They stood up, a vast army.
This vision was about a nation that had lost all hope. But it speaks to anyone who feels dead inside.
Long drinking can leave a person feeling like dry bones. Years lost. Relationships dried up. Health damaged. Faith withered. Maybe you’ve relapsed so many times you’ve lost count. Maybe people have stopped believing in you. Maybe you’ve stopped believing in yourself.
Step Two asks one question, really. Can a Power greater than you restore you? Not “can you restore yourself?” You already know that answer. The question is whether God can.
You don’t have to answer with confidence. Ezekiel’s “Lord, You know” is a fine answer. It leaves the door open. It says, “I can’t see how, but I’m not going to tell You it’s impossible.”
That’s enough to start.
And notice how the restoring happened. Gradually. A rattle. Bones joining. Then sinews. Then skin. Then breath. Not all at once. Recovery often works the same way. First you get through a day. Then a week. Then something in you starts to feel alive again. Then hope breathes.
No valley is too dry for God. No history is too long.
One thing today
Pray Ezekiel’s answer out loud: “Lord, You know.” Then write down one area of your life that feels like dry bones, and ask God to breathe there.
A prayer
God, parts of me feel dead. I don’t know if they can live again. You know. Speak life into the dry places, one bone at a time.
If you’ve been through many relapses, read this. Back to Step Two.
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