Dry Wood Come Alive

Saturday morning was glorious.  As I took my worship walk, I decided to climb a small mound that had been beckoning me since I first started walking that area with my dogs.

Going up, I felt as if I was starting my ascend at Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg. The dirt was a hue of red like a ball field, but with the sporadic growth of small vegetation.

A couple of Bible stories were running through my mind as I looked down to watch my footing and then back up to see where I was going.

First, I thought about Moses and the burning bush. Then, I thought about Abraham and Isaac walking up the mountain with the pile of wood on Isaac’s back.  Last, as I would see minature canyons cut into the earth from recent runoff, I thought about the valley of dry bones.

I was thoroughly enjoying a moment of peace and joy when a dead piece of wood caught my eye.  I back tracked, picked it up, and continued to explore the top of the mound.

I began to notice that there were a lot of these pieces of wood despite the fact that the vegetation growing near was small, scraggly, or ground cover.  It was after a few observations that God revealed to me a message.

These pieces of wood use to be alive, however now they are dead.  In fact, they have been dead so long that they are dry.  But, in a moment of revelation it became clear, “Dead and dry wood is what is used to build houses.” It is a resurrection of sorts that actually brings more life because of what it holds inside.

So why did God share that with me today?

Because looking down at that dead dry wood reminded me of a situation I’m in.  Like When the Lord called Ezekiel to prophesize to the dry bones in the valley, he has asked me to prophesize to this situation and call it to come alive.  God will take the pieces of death and restore, resurrect, and renew all that was lost.

Ezekiel 37:1-14 New International Version (NIV)

The Valley of Dry Bones
37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

To God be the Glory,

Erica