Hope Lives Because God Lives

“Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.” (Eze 37:11 AV)

In our passage, Ezekiel has a vision of a valley of dried bones.  This vison ends in the LORD resurrecting and animating the dry bones of those who had died of the house of Israel.  Most in battle or the captivity of Babylon.  The question to Ezekiel in verse two was whether Ezekiel believed the dry bones could live again.  Ezekiel’s answer was in and of themselves, no.  But God can do anything He sets His mind to.  The LORD then rebuilds the dry bones into living people, breathing the breath of life back into them, so they stand erect as living human souls.  Our verse above compares the condition of the dry bones to the spiritual condition of the people of Israel.

It is a dangerous place to be when one loses all hope.  This is the condition of Israel.  Remember this:  simply because we lose hope does not mean that all hope is lost.  Losing hope is an emotional condition.  It is not a physical condition.  Whether we feel hope or not, it does not change what is.  Hope remains as long as God does.  He is the only one who can remove hope.  A few years back, I was in a situation that seemed, on the face of it, and impossible one.  I was hunting and walking up a very steep grade.  My calf muscles in my left leg blew out.  It felt like I had been shot.  No kidding.  It felt like someone took a hockey stick and whacked me in the back of the leg as hard as they could.  I felt a pop.  Down on my knees I went.  Trying to get back up, I knew I was in trouble.  Stuck about two-thirds of a ravine and no way to contact my hunting partner, the situation could become rather dire.  I had tracked a deer that I shot and he had no idea where I was.  This situation could become rather hopeless really quick.  At the time, I knew nothing about this type of injury.  Thoughts went through my mind.  Would I be paralyzed for the rest of my life?  Would I get out of the wilderness before the coyotes, feral dogs, or rattlers find me before a person would?

God made a promise to Israel.  These covenants were and are unconditional.  Nothing will change the promises God has made.  No matter how Israel may have felt of their present condition, it will change.  God is too gracious a God for it not to change.  The only cure for hopelessness is faith.  Reasoning will not help because there will always be an excuse to be hopeless.  Only faith can bring us out of the emotional pit of which we have fallen.  Eventually, the LORD helped me get out of that ravine.  He gave me wisdom and brought to memory some lessons I had learned in Boy Scouts.  The LORD gave me patience to do what I could do, one little bit at a time.  Nothing outside of an eternity in hell is as bad as it may seem.  Not when God is in control.  Just remember two truths.  First, He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Second, He will perfect that which concerneth you.  Upon these two promises rests all of life’s troubles!  There is hope because the God of all hope is eternal!