Can These Bones Live? Part Two

God is indeed a God of the impossible. Faded dreams, dashed hopes, and lost opportunities are His specialty. The Bible is filled with stories of people whom God brought back from the brink of disaster. Often He did so through incredible miracles--and there was no other way to explain it!

For example, the night before Peter was to be tried and probably convicted (and beheaded), God shook him from his sleep, his shackles, and his prison doors (Acts 12).

And, during the time of Elisha, the people of Samaria were threatened by starvation and/or violent death during the siege of the fearsome Syrian Army. But one morning (when hope seemed to be lost) the people of the city awoke to a miles and miles of food, weapons, and plunder left behind by the soldiers God had frightened away (2 Kings 7).

God can make a way where there is no way. 

        Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:16-19 ESV

That said, sometimes there are things in our life that need to die. Sometimes the roads we are travelling must end. Sometimes dreams must be abandoned.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24 ESV

Hearts that do not know God; even hearts that do know Him have desires that are antithetical to the abundant life Jesus promised (John 10:10). In other words, you and I sometimes have hopes, dreams, plans, and goals that are not godly. They may be "good" or morally neutral dreams, but they do not take us closer to God. We can be mistaken, mislead, and misdirected by sin.

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15 ESV

A loving and Holy God will not help us resurrect a sinful hope. He cannot; and why would He?

This may be a painful subject for some. We may be grieving a lost opportunity (or hoping it is still out there). We may be wondering if we have tried hard enough, prayed hard enough, worked long enough on our dream. Dare we give it up now?

There is a litmus test we can try that Jesus used. Remember the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking how he could inherit eternal life (Matt 19, Mark 10)? Jesus replied, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me (Matt 19:21 ESV).”

Scripture tells us that the young man went away in sorrow because he had much wealth. In other words, the price was too high! Jesus asked him to give up his greatest treasure to follow Him. Jesus knew our hearts reside with our treasure(s) (Luke 13:34). And we cannot serve God and pursue our treasure at the same time--until our treasure becomes Jesus.

So, if you value a dream more than Jesus, it has to go. If you pine for a hope other than Jesus, it has to go. If you grieve a lost opportunity more than you anticipate the newness that Christ is building in you, let that opportunity die . .  and let those bones turn to dust.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ . . .  Philippians 3:7-8 ESV

The Apostle Paul gave up an incredible career, certain wealth, esteem, admiration, and the approval of the religious and political elite to become a itinerant preacher and missionary. He gave up worldly ambitions to endure hardship, beatings, derision, death threats, prison, and privation. AND, he never looked back! Paul liked to use words translated "surpassing" a lot in his letters. His experience with Jesus was "over the top!" Even considering the price he was constantly paying, Paul considered his "profit" inestimable (too high to count)!

Sometimes a bad plan has to die in order for God to give us His best one. As Jim Elliot once said, "he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose." God wants His best for us, not some poor imitation. That is the testimony of the Scriptures. God's blessings to you as you seek to discern His way.

Can These Bones Live?

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.” Ezekiel 37:1-14 ESV

Let's face it: there are times when we seem to run out of road: our opportunities and hopes evaporate. We can identify with a valley of dry bones; we feel spent, dried up, with no place to go. Despite our optimism--even faith--every now and again we come to the "death" of something. Whether it be opportunity, promise, dream, or relationship. Even calm, mature, and wise folks can get discouraged when they confront discomforting circumstances beyond their control.

The disciples confronted this in the crucifixion of Jesus. There was a holy "now what?"  Jesus had gotten out of tough spots before, but not this time. The disciples were anticipating (or perhaps just hoping and praying for) another miracle. They hoped for some divine deliverance from this catastrophic judgment. But no deliverance came. Jesus died. They buried Him. They mourned Him. "Now what?"

Around my yard are a few large branches I laid among the wood chips in my flower beds. It wasn't my best decorating idea and I planned on cutting them up for firewood this spring. These branches were dead--cut from apple trees and left to dry out, rot or disintegrate. But one branch decided to sprout, instead!

Certainly, there is a perfectly good biological reason for this happening; but none of the other firewood has ever done this. In any case, God used this little  "Easter miracle" to remind me that not every disappointing ending is truly an ending.

Jesus arose! He experienced a painful and humiliating death and three days later calmly walked  out of a sealed stone grave. Death couldn't hold Him!

And God called Ezekiel to prophesy to a people feeling dead that He wasn't through with them yet.

God can do the improbable in His sleep. He can do the impossible just as easily. The God of Easter isn't finished with you and I--nor has He forgotten the promises He has given us. Sometimes old women have babies. Sometimes slaves become rulers. Sometimes prisons can't hold God's people. Sometimes fiery furnaces don't burn them. Sometimes one can nap in a den of lions. Sometimes dead bones are called back to life. Sometimes God is quietly at work breathing life into those hopes you had given up for dead.

At ALL times, however, God is faithful, trustworthy, and loving. In ALL of our circumstances, we can place our trust and faith in Him. God is at work all the time and He is good all the time!