Our God is Mighty to Save

The other day as I was standing outside, I saw a familiar acquaintance walk over to get into a car. Only she was changed. Her body was emaciated, her skin sagging. She barely resembled the person she was the last time I saw her, only months ago. And I was pretty sure what had caused this drastic change: drugs. I have no way of proving it, but based on what I've known about her over the years, I'm pretty sure that is the situation. Her life is consumed by chemicals so addicting that she is literally widdling away, barely able to walk. And since then, I've had this knot in my stomach, this sick feeling. How could anyone give up their life to drugs? Why are there so many bad people in this world? I started thinking about how much crime there is, how many people there are out there with evil intentions, and I was feeling burdened by our scary world. It makes me angry. Angry at the drug dealers, the rapists, the abusers that start changing God's little ones, sometimes as early as conception.

And then I read my daily devotional today (Ezekiel 37:1-14):

The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD."

So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD."

Sometimes I read these devotionals and I have a hard time really understanding how the scripture applies my life. There are just a lot of confusing concepts and words. But today I really GOT IT! I could see the visual of that woman I know, her skeletal figure. Her "bones dried up, her hope lost" and then God's offer, "I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live". Our God is bigger than the evil things of the world. They still exist, but He can conquer them. He can transform lives; ALL LIVES! And I started to feel that knot in my stomach unwind, the burden a little less heavy. Not because the evil things don't exist, but because I know that empty, bare lives can be changed in a mighty way.

The devotional ended with this verse (Ezekiel 36:26):

The Lord said, "I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart."

I know I need It (Him), and so do you.