Day 236, or August 24. Live it up like a believer. Our thoughts today are rooted in Ezekiel chapter
37 verse 14. I will put my spirit in you, and you will live.
Now the big picture surrounding this verse. The most famous vision of Ezekiel is that
in which he sees a valley of dry bones. In ancient times bodies of loved ones were left
to decay and become mere bones before they were gathered together and put in special
boxes and placed with their ancestors. This is what the Bible means when we read in several
places that those who had died were gathered to their ancestors. It means literally that
lots of dry bones were gathered together and added to those who had previously died. Ezekiel
sees a valley full of such bones, and God tells him to preach the word of the Lord to
them. Nothing but a miracle would make them live. God was promising that the seeming catastrophe
of exile and the temple's destruction was not the end. God would redeem His people and
give them another chance to live.
And now today's action step. On the face of it, you can't tell the difference between
an unbeliever and a believer. They look the same. Looking across a congregation, it can
be hard enough to know which ones are awake, never mind which ones are believers. On a
serious note, there comes a time for every one of us when we need to hear the word of
the Lord and prove we have heard it by responding to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. This
action transforms our dry bones' existence into a vital living experience with the living
God. This is surely what Jesus meant when He said He had come to give us life in all
its fullness. Knowing is not enough. Responding is essential. I believe churches are amongst
the most needy mission fields in our country because they have tens of thousands of folk
who know about God but who don't know Him. If that sums up you, then why not listen to
day 21 again and make today the day that your dry bones receive the gift of eternal life.