“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. 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. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”  I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” ~ Ezekiel 37:1-3 (NIV)

Honestly, if that’s where the Lord was leading me, I’m not sure I’d go.  Would you?

The text begins by saying “The hand of the Lord was on me.”  A story can’t start much more hopeful than that.  The hand of the Lord, the very presence of God was upon the prophet.  In other words, God was leading the prophet and he knew it, saw it, felt it.  I’m not sure that anything could be more exciting or exhilarating than that – than the hand of the Lord being on you. 

But, as quickly as we’re filled with hope, that hope is stripped away.  Yes, the hand of the Lord is on the prophet, but God leads Ezekiel into a valley filled with bones. 

It’s funny, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve prayed for God to lead me, to give me direction, to show me where to go and what to do and who to be… but if I knew God was leading me here, to a valley filled with bones, I’m not sure I’d go. 

We all want God to lead us, but are we really open to where that might be and what we might see?

The prophet Ezekiel is led to a valley fully of bones, but listen closely to the text.  God doesn’t just show the prophet the bones.  They don’t get in and get out quickly.  No, God leads Ezekiel back and forth among them.  God takes His time leading the prophet through that valley of death.  What a stark contrast this is from Genesis 3’s depiction of God walking with people in the coolness of the day through the beauty of the garden of Eden… 

My how things have changed.

In fact, the Lord doesn’t just walk Ezekiel in and among the bones, God brings him so uncomfortably close to the bones that the prophet can see just how dry they are.  These bodies have been dead a long, long time. 

You get the sense that before whatever happens next, the prophet must understand just how dead, just how dry, just how lifeless these bones really are.

You see there’s a backstory to this boneyard.  There’s a context to this cemetery.  These bones were once men and women imprinted with God’s image, covered in flesh, filled with God’s breath, commissioned with God’s purposes to represent God in the world, to the world, for the sake of the world.

But now, they are a shadow of their former creational intent.  Now, they are a testimony to the tragedy of sin; dry, lifeless, dead. 

Which leads God to ask the question: Can these bones live?

I’m so grateful for Ezekiel’s response: “Sovereign Lord, You alone know.”

There have been times in my life where I’ve felt like the only answer I could honestly give to this question was, “No… these bones… they’re too dry…too far gone...these bones can’t live.”

I know that isn’t what we’re ‘supposed’ to say.  We’re conditioned in the church to think we must always be people ready to jump up out of our seat and shout, “Of course they can!  Hallelujah!”  Don’t get me wrong there have been times in my life when that would be my answer – just not every time.  Perhaps not even most of the time.  There have been times in my life when any other answer than “No” would have been a lie.  That’s why I’m so grateful for Ezekiel’s answer. 

As much as we want to be the person that shouts out, “Yes, these bones can live!  With God all things are possible!” sometimes we have faith enough just to whisper, “Sovereign Lord, You… alone… know.” 

After walking through the bones and seeing just how dry, just how lifeless, just how decayed they are, the prophet’s response reminds us that even mustard-seed-sized faith is still faith. 

No one wants to walk through a valley of their own sin and failure.  No one wants to be reminded of just how far they’ve fallen.  No one wants to come face to face with just how desperate things really are.  But, as undesirable as that journey might be, it is only when we come face to face with how things truly are, that we can get honest with ourselves and honest with God. 

Can these bones live?  Sovereign Lord, You alone know.

I don’t know what’s dead in your life these days.  I don’t know what feels hopeless and beyond repair.  I don’t know where you’re being asked, “Can these bones live?”

But I do know that if God’s hand is upon us, as difficult as the journey might be, the God who leads us in, can lead us through and out as well. I do know that God doesn’t cast us into the valleys on our own – He walks with us even as we face what we’d rather not see. I do know that as God leads us through these difficult seasons, He leads us through as His children – calling us sons and daughters.

So, if you’re reading this and find yourself overwhelmed by the desperation of your situation, wondering can these bones – can this marriage, can this family, can this business, can this relationship, can this whatever live, just know this:

I don’t know what the outcome of your situation will be, I just know that if God is asking the question, “Can these bones live?” there is yet hope. 

So, as you walk with God through your valley, whatever that valley may be, may the God who led Ezekiel through those dry, lifeless bones lead you in and among and through your valley and may He fill you with new life through the power of Jesus Christ today.