SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 37
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. [Ezekiel 37:9-10]
This is a striking image, a valley of bones re-skinned and restored to life.
I can’t help of thinking about a Sunday morning church service, which sometimes feels like a lifeless gathering, with people needing to be resuscitated – and my preaching being the means of of the Spirit standing them up on their feet, a vast army.
This brings to mind a question someone asked me while I was in seminary, training to be a minister – which cemetery are you attending?
God describes His people then as a lifeless body; how would He describe us now?

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” [John 20:21-23]
Here we have the disciples huddled in fear after Jesus’ death, and Jesus breathes into them the life-renewing Spirit, and commissions them as His army of peace and grace.
On Pentecost that Spirit is breathed into the huddled body again, and they rise up to become a vast army – 3000 added in one day [Acts 2:41].
And when they are threatened with death, they pray for the Spirit to make them even more bold, and they are energized again – a vast army! [Acts 4:23-31].
Ezekiel talks about God’s Spirit reuniting the nation of Israel (the two sticks becoming one), but Pentecost shows that it goes beyond this, to grafting in the Gentiles as well [see Romans 11:17-21].
God’s vast army includes Jews and Gentiles, people from all nations!

This passage inspires me, challenges me to rethink how I speak.
It is not up to me to bring life to my audience (whether speaking one on one, in small groups, or in a large gathering), but to speak God’s message and allow the Spirit to produce the life in them.
As a speaker, it is easy to fall into the trap of trying to inspire and motivate my audience by technique or eloquence or clever analogies or great stories.
Yes, I do often feel like I am speaking to a valley of dead bones (is there anyone alive out there?), but this passage reminds me to trust the Spirit to blow through me.
Maybe before I speak, I need to do what Jesus did: He breathed on them and said, ‘receive the Holy Spirit’.
What if I prayed this prayer, and performed this action, every time I was speaking God’s message, and then left the outcome in His hands.

PRAYER:
Lord, breathe on me that I may become alive in You; breathe through me that others can become alive in You too.