The Valley of Dry Bones: Hope and Renewal

Devotional

Day 1: God Brings Life to the Hopeless

In the valley of dry bones, God demonstrates His power to bring life where there is only death and despair. Israel, scattered and spiritually lifeless because of their rebellion, is shown to be like dry bones—hopeless and beyond human restoration. Yet, God’s question to Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” is a reminder that no situation is too far gone for God’s renewing Spirit. Even when all hope seems lost, God’s promises remain, and He alone can breathe new life into what appears dead. [54:41]

Ezekiel 37:1-6 (ESV)
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel hopeless or spiritually “dry”? Ask God today to show you how He can bring new life to that area.

Day 2: True Life Comes from God’s Spirit

Just as God formed Adam from the dust and breathed life into him, so too does He bring true life to His people by His Spirit. All the right pieces can be in place, but without the breath of God, there is no real life. This passage reminds us that our existence, purpose, and vitality are found only when God’s Spirit fills us. We are not truly alive until God breathes His Spirit into us, making us whole and new. [01:03:31]

Genesis 2:7 (ESV)
Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Reflection: What would it look like for you to invite God’s Spirit to fill you afresh today, rather than relying on your own strength or routines?

Day 3: God’s Faithfulness Remains Despite Our Unfaithfulness

Even when Israel was scattered, dry, and seemingly beyond hope because of their sin and rebellion, God’s covenant faithfulness did not waver. He promises to open their graves, restore them, and put His Spirit within them, not because of their faithfulness, but because of His. God’s faithfulness is greater than our failures, and His promises are sure even when we feel unworthy or far from Him. [01:10:27]

Ezekiel 37:12-14 (ESV)
“Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

Reflection: Is there a promise of God you have doubted because of your own shortcomings? How can you trust His faithfulness over your feelings today?

Day 4: The Spirit’s Power to Give Life Surpasses Sin’s Power to Destroy

Sin’s ability to bring death and separation from God is real, but it is nothing compared to the Spirit’s power to restore, renew, and give life. No matter how far gone we feel, God’s Spirit can heal and revive us, making us alive in Christ. The resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that brings us from spiritual death to life, offering hope and transformation beyond what sin has taken. [01:17:34]

Romans 8:11 (ESV)
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where sin has left you feeling defeated or lifeless? Pray specifically for the Spirit’s resurrection power to bring new life there.

Day 5: Responding to God’s Invitation for New Life

God invites everyone—whether you feel “mostly dead” or completely dry—to receive His Spirit and experience true life. No matter your past mistakes, failures, or the areas of your life that seem beyond hope, God’s grace and Spirit can restore you. Today is an opportunity to surrender those dead places to God, ask for His Spirit, and step into the new life He offers through Jesus. [01:16:45]

Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.

Reflection: What is one step you can take today to surrender a “dead” area of your life to God and invite Him to bring it back to life?

Sermon Summary

In the midst of despair and exile, God’s people often find themselves asking, “Why am I here? Has God abandoned me?” The story of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones speaks directly to these questions. Israel, once chosen and set apart, found itself scattered, broken, and spiritually lifeless because of persistent rebellion and idolatry. The destruction of the temple and the loss of their homeland left them in a place of utter hopelessness, a valley not just of physical exile but of spiritual death.

Yet, even in this darkest valley, God’s sovereignty and faithfulness shine through. God leads Ezekiel into a vision where he is surrounded by dry, scattered bones—a vivid picture of Israel’s condition. God asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” It’s a question that echoes in every heart that has known loss, failure, or spiritual dryness. Ezekiel’s humble response—“Sovereign Lord, you alone know”—acknowledges both the depth of the problem and the limitless power of God.

God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, and as he does, the bones come together, flesh and skin cover them, but there is still no life until God commands him to call for the breath—the Spirit. Only then do the bodies stand, alive, a vast army. This two-stage process mirrors the creation of humanity in Genesis: God forms Adam from dust, but Adam only becomes a living being when God breathes life into him. The message is clear: true life comes only from the Spirit of God.

Israel’s exile was the result of sin, but God’s promise is restoration. He declares that He will open their graves, put His Spirit within them, and bring them home. This is not just a promise for ancient Israel, but for all who feel spiritually dead or distant from God. Sin’s power to destroy is real, but it is nothing compared to the Spirit’s power to restore and give new life. Through Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, God offers resurrection to all who will receive it. No matter how dry or hopeless our situation, God’s Spirit can breathe life where there was only death.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s judgment is always just, but His faithfulness endures beyond our failures. Israel’s exile was a direct result of their rebellion and idolatry, yet God’s covenant love remained steadfast, preparing the way for restoration even in the midst of discipline. Our failures may separate us from God, but they do not nullify His promises or His desire to redeem us. [51:55]
2. Spiritual dryness is not the end of the story. The valley of dry bones is a powerful image of utter hopelessness, yet God specializes in bringing life to the most desolate places. When we feel scattered, lifeless, or beyond hope, God invites us to trust that He can do what seems impossible—He can make dry bones live again. [54:41]
3. True life is more than outward restoration; it requires the breath of God. The bones came together and were covered with flesh, but they remained lifeless until God’s Spirit entered them. In the same way, we can have all the outward trappings of life or religion, but without the Spirit, we remain spiritually dead. Only God’s presence within us brings genuine life. [63:31]
4. God’s promises are not limited by our circumstances or our past. Even when Israel was scattered, exiled, and seemingly beyond hope, God declared that He would open their graves and bring them home. Our situation may look irreversible, but God’s word and Spirit have the power to reverse even the most hopeless conditions. [70:27]
5. Sin’s power to destroy is real, but the Spirit’s power to give life is greater. The story of the valley of dry bones is ultimately a story of resurrection—of God’s ability to bring new life where there was only death. Through Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are offered not just forgiveness, but a new heart and a new spirit, no matter how far we have fallen. [77:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[47:00] - Introduction and Series Recap
[47:51] - Entering the Valley of Dry Bones
[49:15] - Israel’s Exile and the Question of “Why?”
[50:50] - God’s Judgment and Israel’s Rebellion
[52:56] - The Fall of the Temple and Deeper Despair
[54:01] - Ezekiel’s Vision: The Valley of Dry Bones
[55:19] - God’s Question: Can These Bones Live?
[57:02] - The Sovereignty of God in Hopelessness
[59:53] - God’s Command: Prophesy to the Bones
[61:31] - The Two-Part Restoration: Bodies and Breath
[63:04] - The Parallel with Creation
[66:03] - God’s Explanation: The Bones Represent Israel
[69:49] - God’s Promises of Restoration
[71:09] - Sin’s Power vs. The Spirit’s Power
[73:08] - The Fulfillment in Christ and the Holy Spirit
[75:42] - Application: New Life for the Hopeless
[77:34] - Closing Invitation and Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ezekiel 37:1-14 (ESV) —
> 1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.
> 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.
> 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”
> 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
> 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.
> 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
> 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
> 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.
> 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”
> 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
> 11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’
> 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.
> 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
> 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

Genesis 2:7 (ESV) —
> Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Observation Questions

In Ezekiel’s vision, what does God ask Ezekiel to do when he is surrounded by the dry bones, and what happens as a result? ([59:53])
What is the difference between the bones coming together and being covered with flesh, and the moment when breath enters them? ([01:01:31])
According to the passage, what do the dry bones represent, and what is God’s promise to them? ([01:06:03])
How does the process of bringing the bones to life in Ezekiel 37 compare to the creation of Adam in Genesis 2:7? ([01:02:37])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” instead of just telling him what will happen? What does Ezekiel’s answer show about his faith or understanding of God? ([54:41])
What does the two-stage process (bones coming together, then breath entering) teach us about the difference between outward restoration and true spiritual life? ([01:03:31])
The people of Israel felt “our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost.” What does this reveal about their spiritual and emotional state in exile? ([01:06:03])
How does God’s promise to “open your graves and bring you up from them” speak to people who feel spiritually dead or hopeless today? ([01:10:27])

Application Questions

The sermon said, “Spiritual dryness is not the end of the story.” Have you ever felt like you were in a “valley of dry bones” in your own life? What did that look like for you, and what helped you move forward? ([54:41])
God’s command to Ezekiel was to speak life into what seemed hopeless. Is there an area of your life, or someone you know, that feels beyond hope right now? What would it look like to trust God to bring new life there? ([59:53])
The vision shows that having all the “pieces” of life or religion isn’t enough without God’s Spirit. Are there areas where you feel like you’re just “going through the motions” spiritually? What would it mean to invite God’s Spirit into those areas? ([01:03:31])
The sermon said, “Sin’s ability to take life is nothing compared to the Spirit’s ability to give life.” Is there a specific sin, regret, or failure that makes you feel stuck or spiritually dead? How can you bring that to God and ask for His Spirit to bring new life? ([01:11:09])
God’s promises are not limited by our circumstances or our past. Is there a situation in your life that feels irreversible or hopeless? How does God’s promise to Israel encourage you to keep trusting Him? ([01:10:27])
The sermon mentioned that God’s faithfulness endures beyond our failures. How does this truth challenge the way you view your own mistakes or the mistakes of others? ([51:55])
If you are a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in you. What is one practical way you can rely on the Spirit this week to bring life to an area that feels dry or lifeless? ([01:13:08])

Sermon Clips

What I think this is showing us is that life itself comes from God. Life comes from God. You may have everything else lined up perfectly, but unless it is the breath of life from God himself, it does not live. [01:03:24] (17 seconds) #BonesRepresentIsrael

And I think what this passage is saying is unless you have the breath of life, the breath of God in you, in a human, that is what makes them human. That is what makes them alive. That is what gives them their very being. And so the bodies can come together, and the bones can be brought together, and you can have flesh, skin, muscles, but unless you have the breath of God within you, you are not. You are not a human being, because life comes from God. [01:04:54] (29 seconds) #HopeInGodsPromises

So Ezekiel gets this vision he's in the valley of dry bones God gives him the message to say to the bones and the winds and you see these these bodies are actually put life into them and they become human again they become living people again and they stand up they come off of the ground they stand up and and Ezekiel imagine with me Ezekiel is surrounded by this army of people and I imagine the effect is similar to that of someone who gives CPR to someone who isn't breathing they check to make sure they're breathing but they're not breathing so he gives CPR to that person and then they come back and then they start breathing after you give them CPR that few seconds after you hear their breath come back into their lungs it's relief like that was a close call and for Ezekiel standing among this army and they have breath in their lungs but for him to witness that they were just a few seconds ago dry bones lifeless across this valley must have been a moment of awe must have been a moment where he was in wonder [01:06:41] (67 seconds) #SpiritGivesNewLife

But here's the thing what we learn in this passage even though israel is hopeless and everything is despair and everything is dark and everything is dry and everything is withered away that god is hopeful that god's covenant his promises are full of hope even though israel is hopeless god's promises are full of hope and here are some of his promises i'm just going to repeat them again because they are good promises i'm going to open your graves of exile and bring you up from them i will put my spirit in you and you will live i will settle you in your own land the land of israel and when god has done all of these things this is what he says thus you will know that i the lord have spoken and done what i said i would because of my promises that i am going to fulfill that i'm going to do that i'm going to carry out the covenant that i'm going to keep my faithfulness you are going to know that i am the lord despite your unfaithfulness israel i god am still faithful same same word that that ezekiel uses to describe god's sovereign god is still sovereign in control of everything and these are the things that are going to come true for israel [01:09:44] (78 seconds) #FulfilledInChrist

If you feel like you're mostly dead or you feel like you're dead this morning, you're dead. You feel like maybe you've been walking through the valley of dry bones in your own life, and there's areas of your life that need to be come back to life. I would ask that you pray a prayer to God for him to fill that area of your life. Worship him. Because only God gives life to where there is no life. Sin's ability to take away life is nothing compared to the Spirit's ability to give life. [01:15:42] (35 seconds) #AliveInChrist

The Bible describes that we were once dead in sin, but now we are alive. We're alive in Christ. In Christ. There's no life apart from God. As much as we'd like to try to do life apart from God, there is none. [01:16:45] (15 seconds) #SpiritHealsAndRestores

``Whatever sin has damaged in your life, God's Spirit can heal twofold. He can give life to areas of your life that you thought were dead for long, long gone. So this morning, take away this. Sin's ability to take life is nothing, nothing compared to the Spirit's ability to give life. [01:17:14] (24 seconds)

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