"God's Spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones..."
"God, the Master, told the dry bones, "Watch this: I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you'll come to life."
Ezekiel 37:1,5 The Message
I have been walking through a desert of faith lately. It's not entirely unpleasant, really. The warmth and sun of my busy daily life at work and at home, have been good companions, even if the air's a little dry.My prayer life and church life have kept on keeping on, and like the cactus plants are drawing water and nourishment from faith carefully stored there during the last season of growth. There is little to complain about and much to give thanks for in the midst of this sunny open plain. But the scenery gets a bit dull and not much changes from day to day...not to mention it's difficult to grow a lush garden of the Spirit's fruit in this environment. It's no wonder all those dried up bones are strewn all over my path.
When I yearn for growth or for the feeling of closeness in my walk with Jesus, I am always reminded of Mother Theresa. It was an eye opener for me when I read her biography. She spent much of her life feeling that Jesus was hiding his presence from her, leaving her in a valley of shadows. Yet this woman of incredible faith continued on her path, trusted in Him and worked tirelessly for Him. She took those dry bones and let God breathe new life into them...though she didn't "feel" the new life most of the time, they danced with love and wept with compassion and cared for all.
Jesus, my friend and my Saviour, breathe new life into these dry bones of faith. May I walk in your path no matter where it leads me: open plains, majestic mountaintops and valleys of shadow. Let your Spirit breathe new life into me, so that I may come to life...life to the fullest...a life to enjoy and in which I will bear much fruit for You. Amen.
I walk through the valley of darkness, just like the desert,however I know i'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking just today on my walk how it's been at least a year if not more that I've been fighting the battle and I drew comfort from the fact that Mother Theresa was a saint and suffered a much longer dry spell and came through.
I can't see the end of it and I guess there are things I have to learn on this journey, I'm sure there are because God is always teaching us. I need to hang on and be ready when the break comes, so I can rejoice in his presence and dance before the Lord as David did.
So glad we can be there to hang on together, as you say there is something to learn, and I am looking forward to the day when the dance is back in our steps!
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