I used to go all day with out drinking. It would be well after supper, and I would realize that I had nothing to drink all day, and even then it was usually only when I needed to take some medicine before going to bed. My husband would fuss at me and tell me it wasn’t good for me, but I didn’t feel thirsty or dehydrated, so what was the big deal. I have suffered from chronic headaches and migraines since I was a teenager, so when I had a headache and he would say drink something, I would just roll my eyes and ignore him. I mean, if he had these headaches, he would know that water wasn’t going to make it go away, especially since most of my meds didn’t even work.
I started on a health program journey on January 1, 2022. When my health coach said you need to drink at least 96 to 120 ounces of water a day, I thought there was absolutely no way. I mean, come on, that has to be a ridiculous amount of water. (Sorry, Paige) She stated that if I wanted to be healthy, and I wanted the plan to work, I needed to drink the water. It took a couple of months for me to get to the point where I drink enough water, mostly. I will be honest, I still have to force myself to do it, and it is now April. I just started my fourth month and I am still struggling with having to drink so much water.
The funny thing about it is that I went my whole life without drinking near enough. I played sports is school, and if I took a squirt or two of water sometime during the game or practice, I was fine. Now, if I don’t get at least 96 ounces in, I wake up parched. Oh yeah, I also get a headache. Who knew, lol. These days, I wake up craving something to drink. My body now knows that it needs that water.
You might be wondering why I am telling you all this. I honestly do have a point to my story. I had become so used to being parched, that I didn’t know that I was. I wasn’t thirsty and I sure didn’t realize that I was harming my body. I think the same thing applies to our spiritual health as well. I know that the Bible is referred to mostly as spiritual food, but I like to think about it as spiritual water. Water that can refresh our spirits and bring our dry bones back to life.
In Ezekiel 37: 1-14 we read where Ezekiel sees a vision of a valley full of dry bones. There was nothing anyone could do for those people, except maybe bury them. There was no hope for them. There was nothing to be done. They were just a bunch of dried up, scattered bones. Ezekiel was still a young man at the time, and was being used by God as a prophet. At this time, Israel was in sad shape. The twelve tribes had been scattered abroad and were held in captivity. I am pretty sure the majority of Israelites were without hope. They were basically a nation without an identity or a home at this point.
Now, to understand the importance of this vison, we have to remember that God never does anything without a purpose. He dropped Ezekiel down into a Valley of Death. He was standing amongst dried up, bleached out, dead men’s bones. In Ezekiel’s day, there were literally valley’s full of dead men’s bones. Many times, when there was a war, the conquering army would strip the fallen army of all valuables, and just leave the bodies lying where they fell. In Old Testament times, a body that hadn’t been properly buried was deemed to be accursed by God. Ezekiel was also a priest, so touching a dead body, being surrounded by bones, must have been extremely unpleasant and uncomfortable. Touching a dead body would make anyone, especially a priest unclean. I can only imagine what Ezekiel was thinking, what in the world are you doing God? I can’t be here! And honestly, I don’t want to be here. There is absolutely no hope to be found here. Then, not only did he have to walk through a bunch of bones, God told him to prophesy to the dead men’s bones. He probably thought okay, God, but this seems a little strange. It isn’t like the dead men would be listening. Of course, preachers today probably sometimes feel the same way…that nobody is listening. Knowing me, I would have rolled my eyes, and asked for what purpose? Okay, let’s be honest, I probably wouldn’t have done that out loud since I was talking to God, but I may have very well thought it.
Ezekiel obeyed and began to preach to the bones. Ezekiel 37:7 says, “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.” What a crazy sight and sound that must have been. Think about it, the bones all went back together the way they should have, and to the right skeleton. No one wound up with someone else’s femur. That was a miracle in itself, but God didn’t stop there. As Ezekiel continued to preach, the muscles and tendons came into place, and then new skin appeared. All of it happened in the proper order. Even though the skeletons were now whole and complete they were still dead and useless. Their lungs weren’t flowing with breath and their hearts were not pumping blood, that is until God breathed life into them again. Ezekiel 37:10 says, “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.”
So let’s get back to the water. If Ezekiel poured buckets full of water on those dead bones, would they be brought back to life? Of course not! He could pour all the water he wanted into the skeletons’ mouths and nothing would have been accomplished. They would still have been without hope, without life. Would you try to give CPR to a skeleton, I wouldn’t. What would be the use? And though our water can be of much use for the person who is alive, there is nothing it can do for dried up bones.
I have amazing news, there is a Life Giving Water, who can make dead men alive again. That is the living water! First of all, we were like those dried up bones, dead in our sins. Then Jesus, through the blood that he shed and His glorious resurrection, provides new life to those who believe. Colossians 2:13 “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.” But those of us who have new life breathed into us, the church, can still become parched. We can lose our vitality, our ability to be a powerful soldier for God. We do not lose our Salvation, but we can become useless, ineffective, and lifeless.
What has you dried up and hopeless today? Is it your finances, your marriage, your loss, your grief, your singleness, your health, the rebellion of your children, anxiety, stress, world events, your job or lack of? How about your relationship with God? Have you let it go, consumed with busyness and the things of this world? Are you tired and beaten down? So many things can steal our hope and dry us up. No matter the cause, God can bring life and hope back to our dead spiritual life, to our dry bones. If He can breathe new life into a valley of dead bones, how much more can He bring new life to his children? There are so many promises in His Word. So much hope to be found within It’s pages. Just like I was living unknowingly parched and dehydrated, we as Christians can be doing the same thing. We become so adjusted to being dried up and hopeless that we forget that there is so much more for us.
Just like I now know when I do not get enough water in, we should know when we miss a day in God’s Word. We should feel a difference when we neglect to spend time with Him in prayer. When we miss church, it should bother us. If you are not bothered, if you can’t tell a difference when you don’t spend time with God, maybe like I was, you are living parched. Only this time, it isn’t physical, but spiritual. Do you have a parched spirit? Do you even know that you do? Don’t let your spiritual life become like a dead man’s bones. Drink in the refreshing water of God’s Word.
Palm 119: 114 You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Ephesians 5:14 For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Psalm 119:107 I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word!
Trusting Through Brokenness 