Why are my bones dry?
I love Ezekiel 37- the valley of the dry bones. I guess it reminds me ... gives me hope that... HE is the god who can do anything. He breathes in life to these dead, dull, dusty, dry bones...and they live. He gives them skin and life and health. There is nothing that is beyond the repairing and healing hand of God if even dead and buried bones can be brought to live...if He can breathe His spirit into them and they can live.
I realize a lot of people don't necessarily think this of God, however, or at least, they do not believe that God would do it for THEM or has done it for them.
The way I see it, there are a few reasons why it may be that God is not breathing in this life to our dead dry bones when we are asking Him to do so in some form or fashion.
1. Are we doing our part in the particular matter? If not, why would He answer us? I am NOT suggesting that we gain our health or our wealth or our peace of mind, but are we asking God to do something that we can very well do ourselves with just a bit more discipline and obedience. I.E. "Lord, take this relationship from my life. If it's your will, remove it. I know it can't be good." Perhaps the Lord of the dry bones is waiting for us to obey and leave the relationship.
2. Are we putting God in the courtroom doc and asking Him to prove Himself, explain Himself, and give us good reason why WE should serve Him when HE hasn't done exactly as we've wanted? If we say yes, He will not... I venture to say that if He responds to our acting like this, He has become the servant...and us...the god.
3. Are we looking for a genie who would grant our wishes but with whom we don't desire a relationship? This, God should not honor...and when I say relationship, I don't mean the fluffy I love Jesus type...but a real relationship...which any person in a real relationship knows, takes effort.
4. Would we be willing to follow God even if He forever said 'no' to our request for whatever it is we are requesting and He seems not to be answering? For many, I think the answer to this is no. If 'no' is the case, perhaps we have not yet known Jesus in a way that enables us truly to call Him Lord.
I feel free to write these four questions and verdicts because they are four penetrating questions that I once answered in a way that shamefully revealed the dying state of my soul... and I suppose it was only after I was broken down entirely and enough by God that I relinquished my right to myself and answered them differently...and not by utter DESIRE to answer them rightly...but by true desire to DESIRE to answer them rightly...and because there was no choice but to follow Him. Peter says, Lord, to whom else shall we go? Then, and only then, some drastic change in my heart and mind began to take place.
I ask you...and I ask myself...as I continue on in the cyclical experience of ups and downs, do you...do I appreciate the salvation of God so entirely that I am/you are my/your very best for Him? Am I willing to forego life's luxuries for Him? Are you? God will not shield us from the requirements of a son, Oswald Chambers says. It takes a tremendous amount of disicpline to live the life of a disciple, but the freedom and reward of that type of life and that type of knowing of Christ is more than worth it. Sadly, we don't know that until we take the plunge.
I realize a lot of people don't necessarily think this of God, however, or at least, they do not believe that God would do it for THEM or has done it for them.
The way I see it, there are a few reasons why it may be that God is not breathing in this life to our dead dry bones when we are asking Him to do so in some form or fashion.
1. Are we doing our part in the particular matter? If not, why would He answer us? I am NOT suggesting that we gain our health or our wealth or our peace of mind, but are we asking God to do something that we can very well do ourselves with just a bit more discipline and obedience. I.E. "Lord, take this relationship from my life. If it's your will, remove it. I know it can't be good." Perhaps the Lord of the dry bones is waiting for us to obey and leave the relationship.
2. Are we putting God in the courtroom doc and asking Him to prove Himself, explain Himself, and give us good reason why WE should serve Him when HE hasn't done exactly as we've wanted? If we say yes, He will not... I venture to say that if He responds to our acting like this, He has become the servant...and us...the god.
3. Are we looking for a genie who would grant our wishes but with whom we don't desire a relationship? This, God should not honor...and when I say relationship, I don't mean the fluffy I love Jesus type...but a real relationship...which any person in a real relationship knows, takes effort.
4. Would we be willing to follow God even if He forever said 'no' to our request for whatever it is we are requesting and He seems not to be answering? For many, I think the answer to this is no. If 'no' is the case, perhaps we have not yet known Jesus in a way that enables us truly to call Him Lord.
I feel free to write these four questions and verdicts because they are four penetrating questions that I once answered in a way that shamefully revealed the dying state of my soul... and I suppose it was only after I was broken down entirely and enough by God that I relinquished my right to myself and answered them differently...and not by utter DESIRE to answer them rightly...but by true desire to DESIRE to answer them rightly...and because there was no choice but to follow Him. Peter says, Lord, to whom else shall we go? Then, and only then, some drastic change in my heart and mind began to take place.
I ask you...and I ask myself...as I continue on in the cyclical experience of ups and downs, do you...do I appreciate the salvation of God so entirely that I am/you are my/your very best for Him? Am I willing to forego life's luxuries for Him? Are you? God will not shield us from the requirements of a son, Oswald Chambers says. It takes a tremendous amount of disicpline to live the life of a disciple, but the freedom and reward of that type of life and that type of knowing of Christ is more than worth it. Sadly, we don't know that until we take the plunge.
Comments