Hear the Word of the Lord

Valley of Dry Bones from finidev on Vimeo.

When you feel hopeless is there a particular passage of scripture the Lord gives you to remind you that He is still in control over every circumstance in your life? For me it's the story in Ezekiel about the Dry Bones found in chapter 37, that's page 787 in my Bible. For years He has been taking me to this particular story over and over.
Last night I was feeling kinda hopeless, there are times I feel like a useless blob that shouldn't even exist. I'm no better than dead. I was talking to my friend about it last night, she's a good listener...it helps. Though we trust the Lord, we still can get depressed, and discouraged about a situation, and just struggle.
This afternoon this is exactly where God took me. It's like He is meeting me in the valleys of life and showing me what he can do with hopelessness:

"The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”

“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”

4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”

10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.

11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’"

Ezekiel was preaching a pretty hard message to the people, God showed him this hopeless situation to assure him that no matter how bad a situation looks God is the ultimate life giver, hope giver, and breath giver. This is a continuous promise! Whether we encounter suffering, loss, confusion, depression, or addiction hope is never lost. He is I AM who always was, Who is, and is to come. The Beginning and the End.
This scripture points to the beginning in Genesis. Man became alive by the very breath of God. Then it points to Salvation Who is Jesus. Jesus said that HE is the resurrection and the life. He is the Word, and it is by the Word of the Lord that there is life. And with His breath came His Spirit and made them alive, getting up out of the valley. All because God's Word was proclaimed to a situation that needed to be changed, "Thus Saith the Lord!" The Word of the Lord is a weapon against the evil one, there is nothing Satan can do against God's Word. The victory is won.
He makes beautiful things out of the dust. Hope springs up from old ground, life is found in Him. He makes all things new.