From Dry Bones

I wrote the other day about how the Lord blesses those who fear Him, with a holy fear.  I qualified the fear because I sometimes struggle with the concept of fearing God as He is Love and His perfect love casts out fear.  When I struggle with something like this it is best to turn to Him and ask for insight and understanding, that He would thru the Holy Spirit clarify it.  I believe I have a right understanding - God is to be feared, He is awesome, all powerful and deserving of my complete and total respect - a holy fear, but He isn't looking for His beloved to tremble at His presence, though His very presence, absent His great mercy I would be found trembling.

This morning my understanding was deepened a little more as I spent time reading in Ezekiel.  The passage was Ezekiel 37 and tells of a place called The Valley of Dry Bones and how the Lord instructed Ezekiel to preach life to the bones, life that comes through God alone.  And as I read the passage I thought about what that place would look like and how the image of bones coming back to life reminded me of some type of horror movie with bones coming back to life to illicit fealings of fear.  This scene differed as it was because of the hand of the Lord and His incredible mercy - to me it brought a different type of fear, a reverent fear of seeing God at work - being awe struck and amazed, filled with praise and worship for I was being given a glimpse of who He is.  The bones, which would be drawn together and given tendons and flesh and ultimately breath would be alive to praise and give thanks to God, the One who has the mighty power to give and take life, to crush and to protect.  It is His awesomenes that should cause one to tremble and His kindness and compassion, His perfect love which casts out fear and leaves a heart grateful and filled with praise.

Much more is to be learned from this passage - how we are like dry bones, dead and full of the stench of decay apart from God.  Walking in sin brings death, but turning from it to Christ  we find life, healing and restoration.  It is also evident that the dry bones cannot save themselves - it is only thru God that they are restored to life.  It also important to note that God used Ezekiel to proclaim His life giving words, though He could have brought the bones to life in an instant without Ezekiel.  God led Ezekiel to the bones, gave Him the words to say and Ezekiel acted in faith and was encouraged and strengthened by what He saw and in reading his experience I am too.

But this morning I am mostly encouraged by God's faithfulness to me, it is new every morning.  There is not a day that will come when He will not be faithful toward me or you.  We are drawn by His love and we find Him waiting to pour out His blessings to strengthen an invitation to follow Him as He leads, allowing us the awesome privelage to participate in all that He has planned for us in this day.  And my prayer is that I would not be found to be like the wicked, fleeing in fear though no one pursues me, instead that I would be found to be moving forward with the Lord, as bold as a lion for He is with me and I am with Him.