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Read Ezekiel 37:1-14. Imagine how strange it would be, and scary, to see dried bones coming together and bringing forth life. How many times, recently, have you heard someone say, “These are strange times”? It may seem like we are in the valley of dried bones. We may wonder if these bones can live again.

What if this time in history isn’t about looking at dead bones? What if today, the Lord is calling out to humankind and new life is coming forth? Maybe we are being invited to disconnect from our routines and habits so that we might be drawn more closely to God and to each other. Take some time over the next week and determine what you need to let go of to bring about new life. Ask yourself what you need to hold these bones together.

Join me in this prayer: Lord, open my eyes to the life to which you are calling me. Help me to hold it all together, that I may live. Amen.

 

Read Psalm 130. This is a psalm of lament. The psalmist cries from the depths of despair, “Listen to me, Lord! Don’t ignore my suffering! How long must I wait for your answer?” Yet, even in that moment, the psalmist finds hope that God, indeed, is listening and is redeeming this seemingly hopeless situation. There are many things in our lives and in the world that we wonder, “How long is this going to go on?”

We may wonder how God could possibly redeem this time when we cannot seem to listen to one another, when we vilify and dehumanize those with whom we disagree, when we continue to find ways to separate ourselves, when no matter how connected we are through technology, we feel lonelier than ever. In times like these, we are called to look a little harder for God’s redemptive work.

How could God be using this time to remind us of our need for God and for each other? What lessons can be learned in difficulties and how easily do we forget those lessons?

Today, think about a specific difficulty in your life or in the world and read this psalm as a prayer of where you see signs that God is already redeeming this situation.

Read Romans 8:6-11. Often, we emulate those who we admire. Today Paul calls us to become more like Christ by dying to ourselves and rising in Christ. We are called to let go of the ways of our flesh and live into the Spirit. We are called to let go of fear and live in hope. We are called to let go of greed and live in generosity. We are called to let go of our sin and live into the life God desires for us. To be in Christ is to take Christ’s form, dying and rising with him and living in union with the Spirit. Taking the form of Jesus is not optional for Christians, but is the very essence of who we are as individuals and a community, both now and in the future.

Who are the people you most admire and how have you tried to emulate them in your own life? What characteristics of Jesus do you feel you exhibit in your own life and which do you struggle to show?

Today, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for those who have shown you what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus.

Read John 11:1-45. I read in one commentary about this passage that Jesus does not do the easy thing of keeping Lazarus from dying. Instead, he does the hard work of bringing life from death. This is an interesting point to consider when we ask why God allows terrible things to happen. If only good happened in our lives and in our world, maybe it would be harder to see the power of God’s healing, restoration, and love. If God prevented every painful interaction, every consequence of human sin and brokenness, and every failure, we would not fully comprehend the miracle of survival, the strength that God gives, and the blessed peace that comes when we find ourselves on the other side of that valley, bathed in the forgiveness, compassion, and mercy that is offered to all of God’s beloved.

Consider a source of pain, anxiety, or sadness that you are facing today. What might it take for you to come out on the other side? What might the other side look like?

In prayer, invite God to walk down into the valley with you and to bring you through what might feel like death into the fullness of life.