A Vision

John Povey October 14, 2026 4 0

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Ezekiel 37: 1-14 (NIV-UK)

1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me to and fro among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’

I said, ‘Sovereign Lord, you alone know.’

4 Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”’

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.”’ 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.

11 Then he said to me: ‘Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.” 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.”’

God’s Spirit led the prophet Ezekiel into a valley filled with human bones that were "very dry," a scene of death and hopelessness.

God asked Ezekiel, "Can these bones live?" Ezekiel wisely answered, "Lord, you alone know," acknowledging that humanly speaking it is impossible, but with God nothing is. 

Then the truth was uncovered. God can speak life and breath back into dead things.  This great discovery, of death and resurrection, is revealed too in the Gospel of Jesus.

God gave that vision of the valley of dry bones because His heart wept over the dry bones of his people, as Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. The Spirit of God wants to breathe new life into spiritual barrenness and deadness.

We may at times have experienced life as a hopeless and destitute valley. Life even for the faithful is not without its challenges. Hardship and trouble are a disturbing reality. You may feel like an area of your life — your faith, a relationship, a dream, your health  — seems like dry, rattling bones.

God does not look on and ask you to fix this yourself. He asks if He can, and He invites you to speak His word of hope into the darkness.

The good news is that God brings life from death. Dry bones are not the last word!  When everything in your world is out of your control, God is still in control. God promises, "I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.”

Prayer:

Lord, I thank You for the promise of renewal and resurrection. I thank You for rejuvenating my spirit even when I feel defeated. May I discover with Ezekiel that you are a God who breathes life into the lifeless and creates beauty from ashes; that you can resurrect lost dreams and restore what has been broken.

Breathe on me, Holy Spirit. Sweep away despair, confusion, and weariness. Let me stand with confidence, fully renewed and equipped as a testimony of Your saving grace and mighty power. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.