Why do we look for the impossible only in the possible? Let me try to explain the question. If we believe that God is the God of the impossible and improbable, why when we pray, do we only look for answers to those prayers in ways that seem likely or possible to us? And why is this lesson such a hard lesson to learn?  These are the things that have been rumbling around in my mind lately. And because I struggle with learning this lesson, God often intervenes giving me a scripture or devotional reading that relates perfectly, which is what leads to this writing.

Ezekiel 37 tells us a story about the valley of dry bones. The story may be familiar to you, but allow me to recap. Ezekiel was a prophet, who like many others was sent by God to the people of Israel. In this particular story Ezekiel was taken by the Spirit to a valley full of dry bones where God asks him “can these bones live?”. He replies “only You know Lord.” Right away in this story I am confronted with and convicted of my unbelief. Ezekiel replies with “only You know Lord”, I am 99% sure that would not have been my answer. My understanding of human life would say “we are talking about dead and dried up bones here, of course they can’t live.” But not Ezekiel, he is open to the idea, admitting he doesn’t know but God does. Here is the thing that troubles me-we have the Bible, we can read about all the impossible things that God has done. The prophets of old didn’t have as much information as we do, but they believed more than we (at least I do). I can’t help but wonder why that is the case?

The story continues, God tells Ezekiel “tell these dry bones that I am going to breathe life into their lungs, cause flesh, muscle and skin to grow on their bones so that will live” (my paraphrase). The prophet obeys God and does as he is told. Which is where the next conviction comes. Ezekiel doesn’t question God, doesn’t complain, doesn’t doubt. He just does exactly as He is told. How often do we obey God that quickly? For myself, I question and doubt what I’ve heard all the time. Thinking things like: I must have misunderstood or that’s impossible, I can’t do that, that would be embarrassing, etc.. Not Ezekiel he just tells the old pile of  dry bones that God is going to bring them back to life. Once again I am confronted with a level of faith in God that I don’t have. Don’t get me wrong, I want it, but freely admit, I am not there.

Guess what happens next? Yep! Exactly what God said was going to happen. The dry bones start moving around, walking, and living! The seemingly impossible, becoming not only possible but actually happening. This is where the deep conviction came for me. How often to I try and shove God into my box of limited understanding? When I pray, I pray with my knowledge and belief of what seems possible or likely instead of being open to the possibility of God doing the impossible. I pray saying God show me what I should do, instead of God show me what You can do.

God goes on to explain that this is what He is going to do for His people.  Look at verses 13-14 “You will know that I am the Lord, my people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.  I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I have spoken, and I will do it. This is the declaration of the Lord.’”  You see, this entire story is an analogy for God’s redemption and restoration of His people. Not just the people of Israel, but for you and me today. And isn’t this what He does every day? Bringing those people far from Him into relationship with Him. Bringing those who are dead in spirit, back to a life. Breathing new life into those who are dry and dead inside. God still does the impossible, in an essence bringing dry bones to life.

All this makes me think about how I pray and obey. What if we changed the way we prayed? What if we begin to pray-God make these dry bones live? And God, show me what You can do in this situation. What if we just listened to and obeyed Him, even when it doesn’t make sense? What if we let God out of the box of our own understanding?

Father God, make dry bones live and show us what You can do!