It’s Never Hopeless with God in the Picture

 

A couple of weeks ago someone’s Halloween decoration caught my eye as I was driving through the far side of our neighborhood. There was a skeleton lying on the ground, or at least the major components of such a figure. I’m not sure if all the bones were present and some may have been disconnected. Behind that somber scene was a sign posted with the message “No Hope” spray painted in red letters. Then again, maybe that wasn’t a Halloween decoration at all. Could it have been someone’s response to all that’s been happening to us in the year 2020? Or there are others who might be ready to erect such a display after the results of the recent election. Or maybe that sentiment expresses the mindset of other people as they deal with some personal difficulties in their lives. Whatever the case, it would be hard to picture the concept of hopelessness any better than by means of a dead, dry, scattered bunch of bones…unless you factor God into the equation.

 The Bible tells us about a time when God gave His prophet Ezekiel a vision of a valley full of dry bones. Than He asked him a simple question: “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel gave a rather wise answer. He knew how impossible the situation looked, but He also knew whom He was dealing with. Therefore he responded, “O Lord God, You know.” If you know the story (and if you don’t, check out Ezekiel 37), you will remember that the Lord proceeded to cause those disconnected bones to come together to form whole skeletons. Then he put flesh and skin back on those bones, resulting in a bunch of lifeless corpses. Finally God put breath into those bodies, causing them to live and stand on their feet. A valley-full of dry bones had been transformed into a vast, living army.

What was the point of this vision? The people of Israel had lost hope. They were captives in a foreign land and didn’t see any chance of restoration. However, God encouraged them with this message that He could bring life to the deadest and driest of old bones. He told them that He would bring them out of their graves. “I will put my Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land” (Ezekiel 37:14). No matter how bleak their circumstances appeared, there was still hope in the Lord.

Maybe some of us need to be reminded of that same truth today. As we look at the direction of our society, nation, and world in general, we may not see very many reasons for hope. We see the skeletons of past glories, spiritual deadness where once there was life, and even dry bones scattered across the landscape of the Lord’s church. Nevertheless we serve the same God whom Ezekiel encountered. Maybe recent difficulties and disappointments are reminding us to make sure we’re not placing our hope in man, in political leaders, in religious organizations, or in anything other than the Lord. Our hope is in Him.

Might the Lord be asking us the same question He asked Ezekiel – “Can these bones live?” I don’t know if the dry bones of our nation will be resurrected. Certainly God is able to do it. However, it may need to start with new life in the church. Let’s seek for the Lord to put His Spirit in us, to fill us with fresh life, and to restore us to what we need to be as His people. Yes, it looks to be hard, challenging, and almost impossible. But hopeless? Not with God. Not with the One who can bring dead bones to life.