Every epoch of history, every season of life has its challenges. When we finish one set, another new set emerges. In our challenges we can lament, whine and be discontented. We live in a time when lamentation seems especially plentiful. We focus on our discontent. We lament all the places in our lives where we feel vulnerable, weak, and under attack.
Focusing on the negative only feeds more lament. Our discontent deepens and depresses us. We feel defeated. This discontent dries out our lives. Dried out lives mean we are just a bag of dried bones.
The LORD looks down to see the valley of the dried bones. Though people may be walking around, so many are just dried up bones. We try to find life in ourselves, in our own efforts, in our own aspirations. We come to the end of our fried up bones. “Mortal, can these dry bones live?” On their own? Hoping in their own arid state? No. “Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost.”(Ezek 37:11)
The LORD speaks to the dried bones. “O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.” (Ezek 37:4) The LORD promises to speak and act in our lives.
There is hope for the Dried Up. The LORD says to us, “I am going to open your graves.” I am going to bring you back to life when I put my Spirit with you. What an amazing promise! The LORD promises to breathe his Spirit into our dried up, slain lives. As Paul proclaims. “But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.” (Rom 8:10) Even though we are dead and dried up, the Spirit can come into you to give you life.
Where discontent dries out our lives, Hope in God is moisture and breath. We are blessed when our help, our hope is in the LORD our God (Ps 146:5) So we are to listen for the Word and the Spirit. “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Rom 8:11)
May the Spirit of the Risen LORD come upon you.
Your servant in the Gospel, Pastor Douglas
Out of the Kiddie Pool 
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