September 14 - Skin and Bones

 Read today’s texts first: Ezekiel 36,37; Psalms 110; Revelation 19

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY

When we stop feeding our souls
we suffer from spiritual anorexia. 

The Jews had a fatal case of spiritual anorexia. When you trust in the flesh, you soon find out there’s not much there – and what little substance you find is only temporary.  Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones is an accurate analogy of Israel’s self-destruction through spiritual starvation.

But this picture of seemingly irrevocable death is suddenly infused with hope: “dry bones, hear the word of the Lord” (37:4).  If Israel had only heard and heeded God’s life-giving Word before, they would never have come to this ignominious end.  Still, with God, His judgment may be swift, but His mercy is everlasting.  Ultimately, His grace is powerful enough to even revive the dead.

While Ezekiel prophesied, the flesh began to re-form on the bones, but still there was no life.  They were back where they started, just before getting carried away to Babylon – flesh and bones with no spiritual vitality.  But just as He did with Adam and with the disciples after the resurrection, God breathed on the lifeless bodies and they became living souls, an unstoppable army ready for battle.  The promise that follows, that Israel would one day return to their homeland, was finally fulfilled. I got to witness the result of that miracle first-hand in Israel a few years ago.  Our guide, Daniel, related one amazing story after another of the War of Independence in ’48 and the 6 Day War in ’67 when Israel overcame impossible odds to reclaim their promised land.

“Lord, thank You that Your mercy never fails. Breathe on me today so that all that I do is in Your strength alone.”