Rattling Glory

In recent weeks, I’ve been reminded of the powerful encounter Ezekiel had with God in Ezekiel 37. Israel had turned away from the Lord, rebelling and worshiping other gods. They were in exile because of their sin and were spiritually dead and dry. But God, in a vision, led Ezekiel to a valley filled with dry, cracked, decaying bones. He told Ezekiel to speak, and when Ezekiel obeyed, those bones came together, gained flesh and blood, and stood as a living army before his very eyes. This shows us that God can bring life, restore us even in our darkest times, and receive the glory that belongs to Him alone.

We, too, often see only the dark days—the dry bones of our own battles and spiritual decay. Yet we glory in the hope we have in Jesus Christ, knowing He will be glorified in every circumstance. Our hearts are heavy with the tragedies of recent days—shootings, assassinations, natural disasters. And yet, even in the heartbreak, nothing is more uplifting than seeing how God continues to work through it all.

Think about the cross. When Jesus died, it seemed like the worst tragedy the world had ever known—the Son of God killed. But all the while, God was working out His greatest victory. If He could turn the darkest moment in history into the most glorious, He can do the same in our lives today. He is the same God then, and He is the same God now.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:1–5 (ESV)

As followers of Christ, we need to remember that when we surrendered our lives to Him, we received the Holy Spirit who now dwells within us. That means no matter what we face, there is hope and joy in Him. We can glory in our sufferings because we trust that God has a plan even in the pain.

So when the Enemy comes knocking at your door, remember who you belong to and who holds you in every moment. Take courage. Keep running the race. Live boldly for Christ. And just as Ezekiel obeyed God when told to speak, let us also obey Christ in faith—trusting that He will bring life, even to the driest of bones. Let Him work, and when we are rattled, see His glory come alive.