And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live (Ezekiel 37:3-5, ESV).
Many years ago, Jim Hiskey introduced me to Dave Williams, the golf coach at the University of Houston. Coach Williams led the Cougars to sixteen national championships over his illustrious 36-year career. Of the many things I remember about this fine man, none sticks out more than his ability to breathe life into those around him by speaking encouraging words.
It won’t surprise you, then, that Coach Williams was a much-sought-after motivational speaker for sports banquets. I would often go by his office and egg him on to rehearse his after-dinner talks with me. He would always say, “make ’em laugh, make ’em cry, and after 15 minutes, tell ‘em goodbye.”
One talk, in particular, has never left my mind. It had to do with a kid who was in middle school studying science under Williams. You see, Coach was a science teacher long before he was a college golf coach. This young man was clumsy and typically ended up on the receiving end of his classmates’ bullying. Coach decided he would turn things around. So, as the story goes, he set out to brag on this young man in front of his peers every time he had a chance. That year ended, and many years had passed when Coach received a phone call from his former student. He accepted a lunch invitation only to discover that this “clumsy” student had grown up to be extraordinarily successful, including many patents to his credit.
Prophesying (I.e., preaching—speaking words of life) combined with the power of the Spirit changed everything then, and it can change everything now. This former student explained that studying under Williams “had been a transformative year.” Coach Williams’ encouragement “had breathed confidence into my psyche,” he said. From then on, he learned to believe in his God-given talents. Coach eventually developed a “talk” as a consequence of that story, entitled: The Power of Belief. Of course, Coach Williams had a deep faith in Christ. But what he meant on this occasion was the importance of speaking words of faith to one another.
In today’s text, we are reminded of a familiar story in the life of ancient Israel. It is a story that foreshadows significant events in the life of God’s people, none more so than what it prophetically portrays. As you will recall, Israel’s army is defeated, lying slain on the valley floor. Things looked hopeless (vs. 11). God commands Ezekiel to prophesy (i.e., speak) to the “very dry bones…” Yahweh then commands the prophet to prophesy to the “breath/Spirit” to cause these bones to live. After a few rumblings, the Spirit raises these bones in resurrected life.
Prophesying (I.e., preaching—speaking words of life) combined with the power of the Spirit changed everything then, and it can change everything now. That day, the Lord had brought Ezekiel out into the Spirit (vs. 1) to show him future realities. And what were those future realities? God would, one day, raise the dead by pouring forth the Holy Spirit through the preached word into the lives of the people of God.
—
Dennis Darville
December 13, 2021
Copyright 2021 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at Links Players
Photo by gustavofrazao from iStock