S) "13 'Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. 14 I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,' declares the Lord."
Ezekiel 37:13-14 (NASB)
O) This vision that Ezekiel had, the Valley of Dry Bones, must have been quite a sight to see. Ezekiel was given a very active role in the vision, also. This reflected his role in reality. The vision, as explained in vv.11-15, was symbolic of spiritual resurrection and revival. In the previous chapter, Ezekiel had recorded a very important prophecy, regarding the new covenant era, which was finally fulfilled in Christ. So, in the vision from this chapter, God equates this to a spiritual resurrection. Once again, we see that this is all to the glory of the Lord. There is no greater miracle to witness or experience, than a spiritual conversion from death to life, and Ezekiel was there, taking an active role in the whole thing, as a nation is revived to their God.
A) These particular verses stood out to me, because this is where the explanation of the Vision becomes very personal. When I was a young adult, I returned to the LORD. In that conversion, that revival, there was no mistaking who it was that had brought me up out of my spiritual grave. God's spirit within me brought me to life. He called me out, He spoke, He did it. I was spiritually dead, and God caused me to come up out of my grave to be His. This is my testimony. He didn't make a bad person good. He didn't make a cold person warm. He didn't make a mean person nice. He made a dead person live.
P) Father, You are the God of the living. Your Spirit within me revives me to life. I was a dead man walking. I was a standing corpse. Like a rotten, dead tree, I was standing but ready to collapse at any time. I had the form of life, but no fruit or shade to give. I had no roots beneath me. But You changed all of that when You got ahold of me, God. You put Your Spirit within me, reviving my soul. You breathed life into my lungs. Even now, I am dead apart from You. Apart from You, from Your Spirit within me, from Your word which sustains and nourishes me, I have no life. Thankfully, that is not who I am. You did not leave me in my grave. You didn't just improve me, You revived me. You recreated me. I can never forget You, I can never ignore You, I can never deny You. You are the Lord my God. You are the One who brought me life. To You be all the glory, forever and ever. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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