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SNEAK PEEK of CHAPTER 2

"Word Power"

It was in a valley long ago that two armies met in battle. The fighting was fierce. The number of soldiers slain was staggering. Women lost their husbands, children lost their fathers, parents lost their sons, a nation lost its finest, in this valley of death. The men who bravely fought and died on this hallowed ground deserved honor, their country’s gratitude, the fanciest of caskets, the finest of funerals. But there was no Arlington for these fallen warriors. Not even close... No one brought flowers. No one sang songs. No one spoke of the valor of the dead. No one came to weep. No one dug a grave. These heroes were abandoned, let behind to nourish the vultures and filthy dogs. Scavengers harvested blood stained treasures in this somber valley of death. Years passed. The bones of the fallen were washed by winter rain and bleached white by summer sun. One day something strange happened in this valley. God brought a preacher named Ezekiel to this bone yard. He was given a tour. The preacher saw dry bones scattered across the valley. He saw the bitter fruit of war. It was a gruesome scene. God gave Ezekiel a pop quiz with just one question. “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel hadn’t studied for this, but he still came up with an A+ answer. He said, “O Lord God, You know.” God did know. God told the preacher to start preaching. “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’” (Ezekiel 37:4). What a crazy command. I can tell you from experience, no preacher likes preaching to a dead audience. Ezekiel starts preaching. He starts telling this assembly of bones the Word of God. Things get really bizarre. Chilling becomes thrilling. Ezekiel hears a noise, a rat ling sound. If I’m Ezekiel, the sound would have been my knees banging together. The bones have been listening to the sermon and they start stirring. A foot bone slides across the ground to a leg bone. A skull rolls over to a spine. A pinky finds a hand. All over the valley bones are connecting to other bones. Body parts are having a rat ling reunion. If I’m Ezekiel I’m get ing out of there. Fast. Preacher school didn’t prepare me for this! Ezekiel keeps preaching the Word and tendons start tying all the bones together. This congregation of reuniting bones begins singing “Bind us together Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot be broken.” (Just making sure you’re still paying attention). Every skeleton gets brand new organs, flesh and skin. Ezekiel then obeys the command to preach to the wind. The wind blows into the valley, into these lifeless bodies. Lungs fill with air. Chests expand. Still hearts beat. Eyes open. The soldiers stand. They are alive. They are dry bones no more. WOW! I hope the rest of the story goes something like this... In a humble home, in a village several days journey from this valley, a young widow is cooking supper for herself and her son. For years, they have been lonely, struggling to get by. She hears a familiar shutting at the door. It can’t be. Her broken heart is playing tricks again. The door opens. It’s him. Her husband is home; her boy’s daddy is home. There are hugs, tears, squeals of delight. Supper burns and nobody notices. Sometimes, what seems too good to be true, really is true. “I thought you were dead. What happened, where have you been?” she demands. “It’s a long story,” he begins. And with his wife in his arms and his son on his knee, he tells of a battle that was lost, of bones that were scattered and of a sermon that roused a sleeping army. This joyful reunion is repeated throughout the land, as fallen husbands, fathers and sons come marching home from the valley of the dead. The Word of God is powerful! It was the Word that put meat on those bones. It was the Word that made the homecomings possible. The Word did what no medic could do. The Word made dry bones live. God’s Word has always been powerful. In the beginning God spoke and there was light. He spoke again and waters were separated, the sun and moon appeared, flowers and trees filled the valleys, fish filled the oceans, birds filled the skies, animals filled the forests. God spoke again and man was created and then woman. Today God’s Word is still powerful. “For the Word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). His Word still creates, still gives life to dry bones like us. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Our world, our valley, is still filled with dry bones, people dead in sin. The same Word that saved dry bones long ago will save dry bones today. Preach the Word. See what God can do!

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