September 10, 2026 Devo

September 10th, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
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)
“Can These Bones Live?”

“Can these bones live?” Have you ever asked that question? I have. And I’ve sat with many others who have. I’ve met with churches that had declined over the years until there were only a few people left—and most of those people were well into their “golden years.” As they look around at the empty pews and vacant classrooms, they ask, “Can these bones live?”
I’ve met with couples whose marriages, which started out as a burning flame, don’t even have a glowing ember left. Hurtful things have been said. Painful things have been done. They not only aren’t sure if they love each other; they’re not convinced they even LIKE each other. As a last-ditch effort, they decided to at least sit and ask the question, “Can these bones live?”
I have friends and family whose lives have been consumed by addiction. They lost their jobs. They lost their marriages. They lost their self-respect and sense of worth. They’ve tried to quit and have failed. Again and again and again. They're looking for hope. They’re looking for something to hang onto. They look at the scrapyard that used to be their lives and ask the question, “Can these bones live?”
When God gave Ezekiel this vision, it was to give him a sense of the depth of hope that he could put in the Lord. God could not only make the sick well, He could also make the dead come to life again. Even the dead, dry, long-forgotten bones of the dead could find life again. The lungs of hope for Israel had run out of breath. They were dead and buried in their sin. But the Lord could breathe new life into them. He was their Living Hope.
Hear the Word of the Lord, my friend. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Did you hear that? Read it again. Jesus is not only the Healer, He is the Resurrector! Your church can live again! Your marriage can live again! YOU can live again! The dry, dead bones of the valley you find yourself in are all the ingredients God needs for a miracle. He can breathe new life into you. He can breathe new love into you. He can breathe new hope into you. Lay your dry, dead bones before the Lord. He alone knows what needs to be done. The One who spoke life into the dust at the beginning can speak life into the dry bones of our lives. “Can these bones live?” Yes, my friend, THEY CAN! That’s God’s Word for you today.