Breath of Life

This morning I came across a well known children's Sunday School story. It's the story of Ezekiel having a vision of the Valley of Dry Bone (Ezekiel 37:1-14).

I can remember being a little scared when we heard this story. Bones coming together and forming flesh over them to eventually being a living breathing army was a bit yucky in my little mind. But now, this time around, I see that God is using this vision as an example of restoration. Throughout the whole book of Ezekiel I've read nothing but judgement, death and destruction. And yet, here is one of the first messages of hope.

Here God has taken dry bone that have long been dead. Bones that there seems to be no hope in every coming to life again. He first brings the bones together. Then He causes flesh to appear on them. But even though that forms the body it doesn't make them alive. They're still dead. "And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them." (Verse 8).

They needed the breath of life from God to be blown into them to make them truly alive. "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, and they will come to life.' So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army." (verses 9-10).

I find it interesting that the act of breathing not only removes carbon dioxide waste but also results in loss of water from the body. "Exhaled air has a relative humidity of 100% because of water diffusing across the moist surface of breathing passages and alveoli." Humm . . . . so this bring to mind that God is the Living Water, "Jesus answered and said to her (women at the well), 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water . . . . .' Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:10, 13-14.

When God was breathing life into these bodies, He was not only filling them with air but living water. Our bodies are mostly made up of water so this makes sense.

I continue to pray for restoration in our lives, marriages and peace from anxiety. If God can call dry dead bones to life, He can bring to life what has been lost. I pray again like I did yesterday that He would give me a deep thirst for Him!

Jesus, Love of my soul
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high:

Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life be past;
Safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last!

Other refuge here I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.

- Charles Wesley

Krista Jones
9.11.08

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