God's Holy Fire: 'Breathe Life!'

Sunday, September 29, 2024

[God] said to me [Ezekiel], "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'GOD, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'" So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army.
— Ezekiel 37:9-10 MESSAGE

Key Thought

God took the dust of the ground and shaped it and breathed into it the breath of life, and "the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). That is the Bible's account of the beginnings of the human race. Today's verses refer to a time when Ezekiel was held in a foreign land. The temple in which he was to have served had been destroyed, and he lived far from where he longed to serve. God's people were in exile. Things felt hopeless. So, God reached back to the creation story and reminded Ezekiel of this truth: If God's Breath, the Holy Spirit, can transform dust into a person, then the Spirit can also transform a destroyed nation and bring it back to life. God's Breath, the Holy Spirit, brings life. The Spirit brings life where there is none. The Spirit brings life to what is dead. The Spirit brings life to sagging hopes and lost dreams. The Spirit brings life to people who have lost their way and given up. That same Holy Spirit longs to bring life to us, today!

Today's Prayer

O Father, breathe on me and breathe into me your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, I ask this. Amen.

Comments

Archived Facebook Comments

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, September 29, 2024

Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
Exodus 9:29
""When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that...."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Finally in Rome!'
"Dear Disciple, Paul finally arrived in Rome in the concluding chapter of Acts. As you have seen over the last several days of reading, the journey..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Evening Thought: Song of Solomon 3:4
"Does Christ receive us when we come to him, notwithstanding all our past sinfulness? Does he never chide us for having tried all other refuges first?...."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'God's Message and a Gracious Example'
"[To the Ephesian elders, Paul continued,] "And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an..."

Illustration

Illustration of Ezekiel 37:9-10 MESSAGE — "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'GOD, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'"

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations