READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l Just as God can restore life to dry bones, so He can restore our lost hope today.
The prophet Ezekiel was commanded by God to prophesy to a valley of dry bones, so that “breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” (v7-10) Held captive in Babylon for about 20 years, God’s people began to lose all hope of freedom. The imagery of dry bones is a picture of lost hope. Many today, including our young people, suffer from mental illness and depression. Depression is caused when there is hopeless and helplessness. Many struggle to overcome one problem after another – an illness, a toxic relationship, financial hardship, etc. They feel helpless, lost, and without hope.
From the passage, we can distill key principles of how God can restore our hope in Christ:
1.God Can Restore Everything That Has Been Lost. In the midst of lost hope, God called Ezekiel to the valley of dry bones to restore the hope of the prophet that God will deliver his people. Even though He gave them over to captivity due to their rebellion, God had never left His people. Hope comes from knowing that:
a)God is still with us and at work. Though we only see our problems, God is in control. He is in our future, and our children’s future. He has not abandoned us in our crises and challenges. “Can these bones live?” He asked Ezekiel, who replied, “O LORD God, You know.” (v3) Almighty God wants us to ask His help to remove the boulders in our lives. Fear ebbs when we know God is with us, and we can peacefully relinquish control of any situation to Him.
b)God has the final say. No matter how difficult our challenges are, God has the final say. God can do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ever ask of Him. He is bigger than our problems for he can breathe new life into dry bones. God promises to “restore the years that the locusts have eaten.” (Joel 2:25)
c)There is purpose in our pain. Like a mother excruciating going through the pain of labour because she anticipates birthing new life, there too is purpose in our pain. Often times God allows us to go through challenges to bring us into a greater experience of His presence and power when we see that “God has spoken and brought us out of our graves.” (v13-14) Like a bamboo tree that quietly grows roots deep down for many years before sprouting and shooting upwards of 100 feet, God is doing an unseen work in our lives and working out His perfect plan even in our season of barrenness.
d)We can keep one eye on the eternal. As God’s children, we can joyfully and confidently expect good in our future both in this life (Ps 27:13) and the life to come (2 Cor 4:17-18). As Israel anticipated returning to their homeland with hope, we too can look forward to our eternal homecoming in Christ. For our troubles in this life will pale in comparison to the eternal glory when Christ returns. What joy shall fill our hearts and we will proclaim with humble adoration, “How great Thou Art!”
2.While God Is Sovereign, He Has Determined to Work Through Our Prayers. God commanded Ezekiel to prophesy not once but twice before Ezekiel saw the dry bones come to life. The most powerful and effective prayers are the prayers that the Holy Spirit leads us to pray. And when we pray, we need to pray persistently until there is breakthrough, healing and full deliverance. Often times, we give up too early.
3.God Wants to Restore Our Hope Today. Some of us may have lost hope or be in the verge of giving up hope because it seems like things will never change. And we feel powerless and hopeless. Today God wants to restore our hope. And hope does not disappoint. (Romans 5:5) God’s answer to change and breakthrough is just around the corner when we persist in prayer.
Breakthrough and healing come when we allow God to do His work of restoration in our lives. For nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. HOPE is restored when “dry bones” arise and thrive to be more than conquerors through Christ who has loved and redeemed us. (Romans 8:31-39)
(Sermon notes by Marjorie Tan)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. On a scale of 1-10, how hopeful are you for the future and why? What are the things in your future that you worry about?
2. Have there been instances in your life where you were only able to see that God was at work in your circumstances when you looked back?
3. When someone is going through a difficult time, how do we bring across to the person the idea that God has a larger purpose for what is happening to give the person hope?
4. How much of our hope is in this life and how much of our hope is for the next life? Where should our hope be placed more in, this life or the next life?
5. Do we give up easily when our prayers are not immediately answered? Share an example of when you experienced an answered prayer only after you had persisted in prayer for a period of time.
