Week of 2/24-3/1: Scattered - God Prepares His People for Deliverance

Day Two: Ezekiel 37:7-14 So I prophesied as I had been commanded. While I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As I looked, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!” So I prophesied as He commanded me; the breath] entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army. Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look how they say: Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off. Therefore, prophesy and say to them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them, My people, and lead you into the land of Israel. 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.”

Read the beginning of the story, Ezekiel 37:1-6, in your Bible.

I HAVE WITNESSED multiple instances of parents leaving their child in difficult situations in hopes that the circumstances would lead to a greater good in the child. For instance, I have watched a parent refuse to give her son money to pay fines he owed, because he wanted to teach the kid to take responsibility and pay their debts. I have also seen a parent choose not to bail out a wayward child from jail, because he hoped the experience of jail would prevail as a lesson for the child to get their life together.

These are not bad things. However, they are difficult things. No parent wants to see their child suffer, struggle, or hurt. Yet many parents are willing to let their children suffer, struggle, or hurt, not because they are uncaring, but because they hope a greater good will prevail. They want to see a promising future, even if it means a darker present.

Does God do this? Absolutely!

God is willing to let us suffer, struggle, or hurt if it means that His greater good and promises will be fulfilled through the trials. God has promised good things for His people. Even in the bad circumstances of life, we can rest assured God is bringing about and working His plan.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

▷▷How do you react when you encounter struggles?

▷▷What are some of the reasons that God allows struggles in our lives?

▷▷How are we to respond to the struggles that we endure?