Water the Bones

The hand of the Lord was on me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry. Then He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I replied, “Lord God, only You know.”

He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!               Ezekiel 37:1-4 (HCSB)

Summer has arrived here on the Gulf Coast. The days are hot and humid. Sun screen, frequent shade and water are essentials. Dehydration can take you out like a sneaky mugger. The balance in your physical health will always demand a price if neglected.

I have had an urgency in my spirit to encourage, even cry out to those who will hear not to let their time with Jesus slip away during these summer months. Relaxation and vacations are wonderful but neglecting your time with the LORD can take you out in spirit, leaving you dry and near death. In our desire to have “fun” we do not pay attention to our spiritual health. The balance in your spiritual health will always demand a price if neglected.

This passage from Ezekiel is often quoted as a picture example of sharing the Good News of God, His love and mercy, that will restore the dry bones to flesh and life. Today it is speaking to me as I recall days when my own spirit felt like “dry bones”. I had so neglected the Living Water and Fresh Bread that comes from my time with God that I was reduced to a “skeleton” of my former self. It was a sneaky thing.

Day 1: I was busy and just didn’t get to my quiet time with God.
Day 2: I’ll get to it later today. Oh, I’m so tired. I’ll do it tomorrow.
Day 3: I’m OK. I’ll spend Sunday afternoon reading my Bible and praying. Well, I’ll do that after my nap.

And before I knew it – a month or two had passed and it was just so easy to keep plowing ahead. I never saw how I was wasting away until “Something BIG” came up in my life and I looked around for God to comfort me or tell me what to do or “fix it” – and He was seemingly pretty far off!

Friends, spouses – they spend time together talking, eating together, relaxing together – that is how a relationship stays fresh and growing. My relationship with God is the same. It is too important to “take a vacation” for two months. Maybe my routine isn’t the same and so I have to be flexible on how and when we spend time together but if I truly want to spend time with Jesus, He will show me how to do that.

So receive this today, as I have, – a caution not to neglect your spiritual health this summer. Keep your spiritual bones alive and healthy! Spend quality time this summer with the Best Friend Forever you will ever have – Jesus, Messiah, Savior and LORD.

I am a Friend of God by Israel Houghton and Michael Gungor (