Ezekiel 37:27

Devotional Thoughts

By Gary Wilkerson

We know from Scripture that Ezekiel was a great prophet who moved mightily in the Spirit. In Ezekiel 37, God gave him a vision that I believe holds a timely message of spiritual awakening for the dry church of today.

Like most Old Testament prophets, Ezekiel served Israel’s king. This often meant traveling with the king’s army and having to witness the horrors of war. Ezekiel saw a lot of carnage no person should ever have to see. Yet soon he would behold a vision that would surpass anything he’d seen before. This vision would be from the Holy Spirit — and Ezekiel testifies, “The hand of the Lord was upon me” (Ezekiel 37:1).

In this life, we’re going to witness a lot of difficult things. Year after year, I see marriages fall apart. I see drug addiction destroying young lives in their prime. As I drive to my office each day, I think of the 80 percent of our city’s population who don’t know Jesus.

When God created humankind, we were never meant to experience the sinful things that befall us. Yet, even being witnesses to tragedy, we rest in God’s hand as Ezekiel did — and the Bible says no power can pluck us from it. This truth has to be established in our hearts. If we are to do battle with the dark forces that come against our families, our young people and our communities, we have to know we are constantly protected and watched over.

Out of chaos, Jesus produces life. Out of ashes, he produces beauty. And into a horrific situation that the enemy means only for destruction, Jesus breathes new life.