Oct 14

Ezekiel saw a valley of dry bones. Before we saw our need for Christ, we may have thought our life was full and rich. But once all those things that used to give us pleasure and meaning vanished, we begin to see them for what they were: dead, lifeless bones.

Many cling to outward shows of religion, thinking that going tochurch and having an outer face of spirituality is enough. But Jesus has some choice words for such:

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Mt. 23:27, 28).

It is not the outer appearance that shows the true nature of a person's soul, but the inward essence; it is not the body or even the soul, but the spirit that reveals the real character and nature of a person. For the spirit is the deepest part of a person's being. That is why Scripture constantly makes reference to the spirit. For God is concerned with the deepest part of our being. He is the ultimate of all existence and when we deal with God, we must deal with absolutes and ultimates. Therefore, we must deal with the spirit.

It is no coincidence that Ezekiel begins the report of his vision of the valley of dry bones with the words "he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord" (Ezek. 37:1).

Scripture for today: Ezekiel 37:1-3
Thought for today: If we would see as God sees, we must have the Spirit of God open our eyes to see Jesus.
Prayer for today: Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see more and more of Jesus.

OCT 14