When Our Body and Spirit Feels Dried Up

While most people are back to work and setting resolutions we can easily feel dried up and worn out. Julie shares how to find refreshment.

“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.’ Then He said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life'” (Ezekiel 37:1-5).

The daily struggle of being chronically ill or in pain can drain the life out of a person. I’m not nearly the exuberant person I used to be, enthusiastic and excited for each new day.

I remember the dreams I had for my own future and never really even considered that illness would put an abrupt halt to my plans. Now, instead of being full of life, some days I feel like a pile of old dry bones.

I can certainly relate to the picture we see in Ezekiel chapter 37, where Ezekiel saw the sad state of the bones. He asked God if those bones could live. What was God’s answer? Hear the word of the Lord, and His breath would enter in, and those bones would live.

Hearing God’s Word can give us hope. By reading God’s Word, we can obtain comfort. Through His Word we can experience life-giving power to revive our old, tired bones so that we can press on in life and thrive.

I know from experience that I do indeed gain strength from God’s Word, not only from the Bible, but also from sources where the Holy Spirit speaks to me through some devotional or a speaker. Immerse your bones in God’s Word, and you will experience God breathing life back into you.

Prayer: Lord, so many of us feel like a pile of old dry bones. Only an infusion of Your Spirit will revive us and give us life again. I asked that You would pour Your Spirit upon us and give us the strength and energy we long for. Amen.

About the author:
Julie Buckley was diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease in 1995 (scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and polymyositis) along with fibromyalgia. She lives in the midwest with her husband and has a grown son. She also has a blog site called “Healthy Souls,” which encourages Christians to grow stronger through their physical weakness, http://jabuckle.wordpress.com/

Have you recently experienced feeling like old dry bones? What verses in the Bible help to revive you?

This is Mandisa singing “Stronger.” It is normal to feel the blues and fatigue, especially this time of year. Admit it if you must, rest, confess any attitude adjustments that need made. And start fresh. -Lisa