Ezekiel 37
Breathe New Life!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, July 15.
After the destruction of Jerusalem, the exiles were in shock and despair. God wanted to restore unto them the joy of His salvation, so He gave Ezekiel a vision of the valley of dry bones, illustrating the truth of Proverbs 17:22, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” God commanded the prophet to breathe His Spirit upon them in Ezekiel 37:5-10:
“Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’” … “Say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they 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.
God doesn’t desire for His people to live in despair. After the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the disciples were confused and discouraged, so the resurrected Lord appeared to them in John 20:21-22, “‘Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” He restored unto them the joy of His salvation, giving them a renewed hope that their faith in Him had not been misplaced – “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). The regenerative power of the Holy Spirit restores joy, bringing life to dry bones.
Seize the moment and breathe the hope of new life onto people by giving them the balm of joy that brings life to broken spirits.
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.