NEWNESS

 "...Son of man, can these bones live?" Ezekiel 37:3

One of the things I love about my tiny and humble abode is that it has a very large window. Every morning, as I make my way to the bathroom, the first thing I do is stop by the living room to pull back the curtains. Perfectly positioned right by the window is a tiny table and chair where I sit every morning to have my first cup of coffee. Oh, the bliss! 

On this very morning, I am sipping my coffee and looking out the window. I notice two birds on the partially melting snow-covered lawn. A smile spread across my face as I think to myself, "wow, they are back!" I then shifted my gaze to the tree that once used to be their very leafy and vibrant home, now completely dried up. As I took in the bare, skeletal remains of the trees, I thought, "wow, so even this tree will spring forth again?" I haven't stopped thinking about that since then. As I pass by dead trees, I think to myself how completely different they would all look in a couple months. Springing with different colours, flowers blooming, with leaves forming a canopy to house these chirpy birds again. 

Isn't that amazing?! Isn't God amazing?! Man, I couldn't wait to come down here to share this message of hope with you all. That there is nothing too dead for God to bring back to life!

And look...

Coincidentally, Easter Friday is just tomorrow! 

Do you see what I see? 

I see resurrection. 

I see newness. 

I see clean slates.

I see fresh starts.

I see hope springing forth. A living hope! 

When the Lord brought Ezekiel to the valley filled with dried bones, He asked him a simple question, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

Today I ask you,

What is that thing that looks dead to you? 

What is that situation that looks so barren, so lifeless, that you think will never spring back to life?

Who is that person that you think is so far gone they can't find their way back?

Perhaps it's you. You feel stuck, drained and dry. You feel empty, like these naked trees. 

No matter who you are, where you're from, where you've been, and what your story is,  I hope you see that there is hope for the hopeless. 

Jesus. Yes. Jesus is our living hope. 

As we step into spring and as we celebrate Easter, I pray this message of hope resonates strongly with you. 

This long weekend, I challenge you to take some time off to study the plan for redemption- what Jesus did for you in his death, burial, and resurrection. 

I bet you light up as you do so, and may the good news revealed to you bring you hope.

 You are loved. 

Study Scriptures: Matthew 28:1-6,  Ephesians 1:1-23, Colossians 1:19-23, I Pet 1:3, Galations 3:13-14, John 3:16, John 11:25-26, John 12:23-25, Luke 24:1-12, Romans 3:23-26, Psalm 111:9. 

Song of the Week: Living Hope by Phil Wickham and Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave.