Have you ever felt run down, burnt out, running on empty? I’ve been there. Maybe you're going through a “dry spell” right now! Finding nothing left in the tank. Empty inside. In a sense lifeless…?

If this describes you, then you know how the Children of Israel were feeling when Ezekiel wrote to them concerning his vision of “The Valley of Dry Bones” in Ezekiel chapter 37. The vision describes God’s people pretty well. They were held captive in a foreign land. They were defeated, desolate, dried up…almost dead!  But then, God breathes new life into them. He breathes into them the Spirit of the Lord and gives them hope with word of promise. “And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:14)

The vision that Ezekiel observed was not only a message of hope to those who were held captive in Babylon, it pointed ahead to The One who would come to deliver all people from the captivity of sin and death.  The “dry bones” that were brought to life in Ezekiel’s vision, were a prototype of all those whom Jesus would bring to life when He came to live on earth! Even when Jesus came to earth, His miracles of raising people like Lazarus from the dead, only pointed ahead to when He would bring to life ALL through His death in the cross!  

Today you and I can celebrate our New Life in Christ through faith in Jesus’ promise of Life!  The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write about this promise of new life today! “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life.” (Romans 3:3-4)

What a joy to be refreshed with the Holy Spirit! What a joy to receive the gift of Life from Jesus!  What a joy to live in the promise of Jesus' love today in this life and for the life to come!

Refreshed by Jesus!

Pastor Maske