January 19, 2026

djohnstoncc
30 minutes ago
2 min read

FROM DRY BONES TO A MIGHTY ARMY

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Then he said to me, ‘Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man... say, This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’ So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.”

Ezekiel 37:9-10 NLT

TODAY’S THOUGHT

I remember my parents reading this story to me when I was a teenager. It is a staggering vision: Ezekiel is standing in a valley filled with dry, bleached bones. God commands him to prophesy to the bones. As he speaks, there is a rattling sound.

The bones join, and muscle and flesh cover them—but there is still no life.

The bodies had form, but they had no breath.

Then God tells Ezekiel to speak to the winds. As he does, life enters the bodies and they stand up—not just as people, but as a great army.

The Breath of God

This vision is a perfect illustration of what God wants to do for individuals and for the Church. In Scripture, the word for "Spirit" (the Hebrew Ruach and the Greek Pneuma) literally means "breath, breeze, or wind."

We see this again on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. The followers of Jesus were gathered in prayer when the sound of a "mighty rushing wind" filled the room, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. These followers already loved Jesus; they were already "saved." But they needed another step. They needed to be clothed with the power of the Spirit.

Just as Ezekiel’s dry bones needed the wind to become an army, we need the Ruach—the breath of God—to become the effective force God called us to be.

Three Lessons from the Valley

God Restores the Hopeless: Your circumstances may look like a valley of dry bones today, but God specializes in building armies out of ruins. Nothing is too dead for Him to revive.
The Power of Prophetic Words: God is looking for people who have the faith to speak life over death and hope over despair. Our words, when aligned with His, carry creative power.
Presence Over Effort: We cannot accomplish God’s work through mere human effort or "form." We must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. A body without breath is just a statue; a church without the Spirit is just a club.

Let’s ask God not just to "fix" our lives, but to breathe His life into us until we stand up as the army, He intended us to be.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit, breathe on me today. I don’t want to just have the "form" of a Christian; I want the power of Your life flowing through me. Give me the courage to speak Your truth over my circumstances and the lives of others. Empower me to be part of Your great army. Amen.

“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”