In her blog, Gayla wrote about rescuing a cactus from the garbage bins of an apartment building in her neighborhood. She found a single stem that showed some signs of life. With some pruning, the seemingly dead plant blossomed once again and is now thriving. She shared the details of the cactus transformation in order to help those who think that their cacti are beyond hope.
When God asked whether the dry bones in the valley could live again, Ezekiel was caught off guard. It certainly didn’t look like they could be part of living, breathing human beings again. So the prophet responded with the only truth he could wrap his mind around. “O Sovereign Lord,” [he] replied, “you alone know the answer to that” (Ezekiel 37:3).
In the midst of their captivity, God’s people likely felt that they would never get out of the hole their sin had dug. Babylon seemed unconquerable and hope was gone. And so God sent a word through Ezekiel, likening Israel to the dry bones in the valley. Although they believed that hope was lost, God would pour out His Spirit on them and bring deliverance from captivity. Instead of being cut off, they would stand again as a strong and great army—just as the dry bones did (Ezekiel 37:10-14).
Like Israel and the previous owners of Gayla’s cactus, we can lose sight of hope in the midst of challenging or difficult situations. But since nothing is impossible with God, it means that there’s always hope. No matter where you are today, what hurt or disappointment you’re dealing with, hear these words that God shared with ancient Israel: “O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again” (Ezekiel 37:13-14).
Hope and life spring from God!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Luke 2:1-20
More:
Read Romans 5:2-5 to see what Paul says about the source of our hope.
Next:
Do you tend to see the glass as half empty or half full? What gives you hope in this life? How does knowing the Source of life fill your heart with hope today?
gagirllive on June 10, 2016 at 3:56 am
Hi, Remi! I believe it was Alexander Pope who penned the phrase “hope springs eternal”. It’s a great idiom for the optimist, but I like the way God says it in Zachariah 9: 12—“Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.” For folks like me who tend to see the glass half empty, being a “prisoner of hope” is better than the power of positive thinking. I need an Anchor. I need to be shackled to hope…held captive by it, lest it escapes me. Because God is God—because He is my Father, I have this confident expectation in Him that dares me to keep believing, keep trusting, keep hoping. Even in the darkest night of my soul there remains a flicker of light that says “don’t give up…I am holding you”. Paul says in Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Our God is the God of HOPE. How we need this today. So wonderful to know that only the LORD can make dry bones live again. For the hopeless heart who may find their way here today, I pray that you will come to trust Hope. Hope’s name is Jesus. Remi, thank you for leading us to drink from the Well today. Grace and peace to you, dear sister.
mithrandir on June 10, 2016 at 10:44 am
gagirl, thank you for your comments and for your prayer. You have encouraged me. And thanks to all at ODJ. Yesterday’s and today’s devotionals, spoke to me and my situation specifically and personally. God bless all here.
remioyedele2015 on June 10, 2016 at 11:34 am
God bless you, Mithrandir; stay strong in His grace.
Holding on to hope,
Remi
gagirllive on June 10, 2016 at 3:49 pm
mithrandir, I definitely had you in mind as I prayed that prayer. I want you to be a prisoner of hope. Your case is not too hard for the LORD. As long as you have breath in your body, dear one, God is able to affect your life. Don’t give up the fight! 🙂
Gary Shultz on June 10, 2016 at 5:49 am
Hi Remi, I see gagirl has beat the sun rise this morning and has captured some beautiful phrases about hope. Being a little more punchy, I would say that the spring of real hope can only be found in God. In a complete turn of what was stated to Ezekiel, Christ saw living Pharisees, and said they were full of dead men’s bones. It appears being in God’s presence and knowing His ways will allow hope beyond imagination. It also appears that self reliance and twisting the blessings of God would produce a false hope, which is no real hope at all. God produces and sustains hope, find God, find real hope. Thanks Remi and gagirl
gagirllive on June 10, 2016 at 7:21 am
Haha…believe me—rare occasion, brother, rare occasion. 🙂
remioyedele2015 on June 10, 2016 at 11:33 am
Lol – hello gagirl and Gary!! You both certainly got an earlier start than I did!! 🙂 thank you so much for your beautiful hope filled contributions; I pray the truth of God’s word will permeate the soul of anyone currently lacking in hope that they may awaken to the eternal spring of His unfailing love in all circumstances.
Be blessed!
Remi
godlove on June 10, 2016 at 3:51 pm
I love the lyrics of the song from Don Moen in which he sings: “God will make a way there seems to be no way.” Nothing is impossible for our God, nothing at all. I have found myself in situations where all I could do was look up to God because I didn’t know anything else to do and He worked miracles for me. I have learned to put all my hope and all my trust in our heavenly Father, like the Psalmist who says: “And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My ONLY hope is in You.” Leaving everything to Him makes me more of a glass half-full person, because I know that having lifted everything up to Him, He is in total control of my situation. Thanks, Remi, great devotional. Blessings to all.
godlove on June 10, 2016 at 3:52 pm
Sorry, typo error: “God will make a way, where there seems to be no way”
gagirllive on June 10, 2016 at 4:24 pm
Amen, godlove. “He opens doors we cannot see. He will make a way for me”…as the lyrics continue from Moen. Very encouraging song. If you are able, look up a song by For King and Country called “Hope is What We Crave”. You being from a younger generation will appreciate their fresh take on the subject. 🙂 Even an “oldie” like me likes it!