Why is it when things look the worst and seem the most hopeless, God asks the strangest of questions. How about the $2000 bill you get in the mail and you only have $100 and you hear God say, “Do you trust me?” Or you’ve come from the doctors office and he tells you that your lab work came back and you have cancer. It was the last thing you’d expect to hear and then out of your spirit you hear the words, “Whose report will you believe; mans or mine?”

Ezekiel had a similar encounter in chapter 37:1-3; The Lord’s power came on me. The Spirit of the Lord carried me out of the city and put me down in the middle of the valley. The valley was full of dead men’s bones. There were many bones lying on the ground in the valley. The Lord made me walk all around among the bones. I saw the bones were very dry. Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, can these bones come to life?” I answered, “Lord God, only you know the answer to that question.”

What happens when the obvious answer is not the true answer God is looking for? God always gives a choice as to what we could or should believe, but he gently nudges us toward the supernatural, that’s where HE lives.  He knows that we live in a natural realm and spend more time there than in His realm, that’s why He is constantly inviting us to spend time in His presence, to get His perspective on what to believe and speak. God’s specialty is taking impossible situations and breathing life into them. The more impossible it looks, the greater the glory He gets. 

Ezekiel could have stated the obvious. He could have said what he saw and no one reading this story would have faulted him for it. But he was wise enough to not agree with what he saw but to leave the outcome up to God. “Lord God, only you know the answer to that question.” This should be what we speak over every ‘obviously bad’ report that comes our way. Lord, only you know the truth. Lord only you know what to do with this. Lord, I trust in you. Show me how you see this, tell me what you would have me speak to these impossibly dry, dead bones. Only you know the truth in any matter. What is the truth that I cannot see!

Because Ezekiel listened, watch what happens in verses 4-6; Then he said to me, “Speak to these bones for me. Tell them, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord!  This is what the Lord God says to you: I will cause breath to come into you, and you will come to life!  I will put sinew and muscles on you, and I will cover you with skin. Then I will put breath in you, and you will come back to life! Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Do you see that? Why did this happen? So you will know that He is the Lord. God still longs to do the impossible today simply that you will know He is the Lord! We’ve become so dependent on doctors for answers to all of our ills that we never attend our appointment with the Great Physician. We’ve become so dependent on creditors that we don’t go to the Great Provider. We keep digging ourselves a bigger hole and expect God to rescue us instead of running to Him first, getting direction and waiting for the answer. Yikes! We sure have things turned around, don’t we. No wonder they say that things are ‘backward’ in the Kingdom of God. Perhaps if we were to spend time getting to know Gods ways, we’d walk in them easier.

So Father, what are you saying? That I’m to have faith in You and You alone? Really? What if it’s my children? Trust You? What if it’s my husband? Trust You? But, are you able to beat cancer? I’m to trust You? Wait, do you know what I’m facing? Do you understand that I’m about to lose everything I have? I’ve lost my job and I have no money to pay my rent or buy food for my children and you say, I’m to trust You? This is just hard to do, Lord. I’m just being honest here. It’s one thing to hear about it but it’s another one to own it, to look this terrible thing in the face as a reality. I’m so used to providing for myself, doing everything for myself. Oh, I see. That’s it, isn’t it! I’m trusting in myself, not in You. Oh. Wow. Well, when you put it THAT way, you’re right of course. I’m sorry for trusting in me. I’m sorry that I’ve taken the path the world travels instead of the path you’ve made for me. How can the world see you as the answer if I don’t even see You as the answer. I repent and my face turn back to You. I trust You for my answers. I will listen and obey Your voice.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8; “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him.  With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.