The Year of “Re” Resurrect: Can These Bones Live? Part Three: The Weight of Friday “And He said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Ezekiel 37:3 Can these bones live? For the last few weeks, we have been asking the question that God presented to Ezekiel. During that time, the children of Israel were feeling their worst. They were feeling hopeless and lost. Even though they had a promise given to them through Abraham, they still felt defeated. Sometimes in our lives, we feel that as well. God has sent us on a new mission or given us a new assignment. Maybe we started a new business, started a family, entered into a new relationship or marriage, or any of those things, and yet things do not seem right. So we ask: Can these bones live? In the beginning, we have those who cheer for us. People are there. Support is present. It feels like everything we need is in place. Then something suddenly changes, and the weight of it all becomes heavy. It begins to weigh on us. It feels as though friends have deserted us, and no one is there to help us. In that place, we find ourselves asking God, “Can this cup be removed?” We looked at how Jesus Christ also faced that moment in the Garden of Gethsemane as He went to fulfill His purpose by dying on the cross for the sins of the world. Even Jesus had those who loved Him, who cheered for Him, and then turned and ran from Him and deserted Him. He asked if this cup could pass. In other words, I do not want to do this. Can we come up with something else? This hurts. This is hard. This is difficult. However, Jesus came to His nevertheless. And to keep going in the face of dry bones, we too must come to our "nevertheless". So we find ourselves on Friday, the day He was crucified, where He was whipped and beaten. Sometimes we feel as though life is whipping us. The storms of life are beating against us, and sometimes we feel like we cannot go on. Yet Jesus took the cross, His assignment, and carried it. Although He was tired, sore, beaten, hurting, and in pain, not just physically but in His soul, He still went on that long road, the Via Dolorosa, to fulfill what God had placed within Him. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:2 that for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross.

The Year of “Re” Resurrect: Can These Bones Live? Part Two: The Crowd, The Calling & The Cost “And He said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Ezekiel 37:3 How exciting is it when God deposits within us a passionate desire for a ministry or a calling so great it is beyond our own comprehension? It can be a new relationship, starting a family, a business, a ministry, an educational pursuit, an investment, or the like. Whatever it is, we know that God Himself has placed that thing on the inside of us. We pray, we ponder, then we submit to lay hold of what He has promised. We get the courage to tell our friends and loved ones. We begin the process of carrying out this great work. We move step by step as He leads. We continue to serve God and others as we walk toward the manifestation of this ultimate calling. Everyone is offering their assistance. Whatever the promise entails, everything appears to be right on schedule. Then suddenly, calamity shows up at the door. Not only does it come, it brings betrayal, rejection, doubt, lack, agony, and fear. The friends disperse. The praise turns to jeers. We cannot even get anyone to pray for us, let alone with us. We begin to ask ourselves the question: Is it even worth it? Maybe I heard God wrong. Should I just let it all go? Can These Bones Live? We cry out to God for this despair to pass. We want to walk away from the dream and, at times, from life itself. But that thing God has placed in us is still pushing to come forth. We become exhausted physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Still, we muster a nevertheless and press on. We keep going while carrying doubt and hopelessness. We perform what seem to be obedient actions, but faith is lacking. We are going through the motions. This big, beautiful dream now lacks muscle and skin. It is only bones. Can These Bones Live? What we have just read sounds familiar, doesn’t it? This is the same journey Jesus took during what we call Passion Week. There was a moment when the crowd welcomed Him with praise. Voices were lifted. Expectations were high. It appeared that everything was aligning with what had been promised. Yet, in a matter of days, the same voices shifted. Praise gave way to rejection. Support turned into silence. What once looked like promise began to feel uncertain. He experienced betrayal. He stood in the tension of what was before Him. The weight of what He carried was not light. There is a cost to the calling.