Elijah and the Dry Bones
As many of you know, our beloved United States and our churches are facing a mental health crisis. Suicide is killing both believers and unbelievers. It has been troubling with verifiable evidence over the past two decades. For the first time in a generation, there is a significant decline in life expectancy. This decline is not the result of war, crime, famine or disease, but despair. People are dying younger due primarily to suicide, drugs, alcohol and abuse. Those who are despondent and in despair are like the Dry Bones in the Book of Ezekiel. We are surrounded with so many people who have become hopeless without life.
We are a people of hope and the best example in scripture came to me from Ezekiel 37:1-14. Ezekiel was a prophet of God who could receive visions from God. God showed him one day a valley filled with bones. There was enough distance to not recognize what kind of bones. As he neared them, he discovered they were human bones. God spoke and said to him, Ezekiel, can these bones live? Ezekiel responded, “O Lord, you know.”
Then God said to Ezekiel, Prophesy to these bones and say to them “O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” [Here is the opportunity. As crisis interventionist, we can use God’s word of light and life to revive those stricken with the thought of death.] God’s word gives hope. As God spoke to Ezekiel, He continued, “Behold, I will cause breath and spirit to enter you, and you shall live; And I will lay sinews upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin, and I will put breath and spirit in you, and you [dry bones] shall live; and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service].
So what happened next? As Ezekiel prophesied and obeyed God’s Word, there was thundering noise, shaking, trembling, and rattling. The bones started to come together, bone upon bone. Then the sinews came upon the bones and skin of flesh came upon them but there was no spirit of life.
A person who is going through unresolved issues or crisis after another, may be alive but their life may feel spirit less. The struggle is real. The truth of God’s kindness is He does not want anyone to remain in hopeless suffering and He calls ALL to come to Him with their burdens to find life (Matt 11:28-30). I believe in this message from Ezekiel, God wants to use us to help the “dry bones” around us to revive again. The scripture continues. Then God said to Ezekiel, “Prophesy to the breath and spirit and say, “Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath and spirit, and breathe upon these slain that they may live.’
What were the four winds? They refer to the natural four winds of the corners of the earth: North, South, East and West. The northern wind brings rain, growth, and increase. The southern wind brings peace, quiet, healing, and comfort. The strong eastern wind can scorch, devastate and separate; however, the western wind drives off the devourer and brings relief and the promise of rain to bring blessings and transformation. What does this mean? Healing may come in seasons. When intervening and interceding for people, healing can take time. The journey of healing will have its ebb and flow. Ezekiel obeyed and the breath and spirit came into the bones, they lived, and stood up on their feet. The whole host of humans stood together.
God is calling an awakening of our faith to live and to stand together. If he can use Ezekiel to bring life to a valley of bones, think about what God can do through you through His kindness? By choosing to be a crisis interventionist, you will be able to encourage positive change when helping others towards hope. If we obey Him and follow His lead to become the crisis interventionist, He has called us to be, I believe the God of the wind will be unleashed and more people will come out of the deep valley and stand together representing the life and purpose God has given each one. Maybe you have been in the Valley of the Bones and you were revived. You know what it is like to be in that place of darkness but God has brought you into the light. I believe God is calling a mobilization of crisis interventionist to help those in their time of crisis. People need people, flesh support.
God is the greatest Crisis Interventionist known to mankind. He offered a safety net, our salvation. Gal 4:4-5. “ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” God desires to use us at the “right time” His time to intervene and intercede with those hurting. You can be a crisis interventionist through the power of His Spirit. When we obey as Ezekiel obeyed, I believe the God of the four winds will be unleashed and more people will come out of the deep valley and stand together representing the life and purpose God has given each one. We are wired for life, not death. God calls each and everyone to purpose and mission in life. I believe the Think 3-2-1 strategy God provided is an opportunity to breathe life again to those who feels hopeless and despondent. The investment and time you give to someone in crisis will lead them to places of safety and trust.
