During this global pandemic, many say in their weariness, “Our hope is lost, our bones are dried up”. In these last days, the church is faced with increasing decay and hostility in the surrounding culture. There is no doubt that in the nations today, we all have experienced a cycle of decline. The global church is faced with similar spiritual decline.

In Ezekiel 37, it says “The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

Ezekiel lived during the exile in Babylon. The valley of dry bones was a vision of the spiritual rebirth of the nation, and for us it has the same significance. God reveals His vision for restoration and the spiritual rebirth of Israel, to us He is saying He wants to restore a mighty army ready for battle in these last days.

Every day the statistics of those dying have been staring us in the face. The loss of health and passing away of those near and dear to us has been very difficult. We have been invoking the blood of Jesus and praying fervently and have increasingly looked to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. He died so that we may live.

Faith sees God’s power in the face of the problem. Ezekiel had heard God’s promise in the previous chapter “I will sanctify My great name; I will sprinkle clean water on you. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will deliver you from all your uncleanness. Not for your sake do I this, says the Lord, let it be known”.

The Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy what God had promised and bone came to bone, and a mighty army stood to their feet, so that they would know it was God’s hand that brought about their restoration and that they would be His people and He would be their God. In the last days God’s people will prophesy, old and young, even servants will prophesy (Acts 2).

We are His people. called by His name, God’s salvation army. By the Spirit, our mandate in these days is to touch the nations to bring back hope to the hopeless and to impact our world with a new boldness like never before.