Valley of Dry Bones
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
Ezekiel 37:1–3
Why did the all-knowing God ask a prophet if it was possible for the dry bones in an open valley to live again? It was not because He didn’t know the answer; the purpose of the question was to reveal what was in Ezekiel’s mind.
If I’m to paraphrase the verses, I would write, “Ezekiel, I know you are in an open valley that is filled with dry bones, but what do you see?” God brought the prophet into a reality and asked him if what he saw as a reality can be changed. The entire prophecy doesn’t only tell us about the restoration of Israel as a nation, but also serves as a reminder that in God, it is not what we look at that matters; it is about what we see.
Moses sent out twelve people to spy the land of Canaan. All twelve spies looked at the children of Anak and saw giants. However, while the ten spies saw themselves like as grasshoppers, Joshua and Caleb saw the Promised Land and believed that God was able to give them the victory. Elijah looked at a small cloud rising up from the sea, but what he saw and heard was the sound of the abundance of rain. Prophet Isaiah looked at their dead king, Uzziah, but what he saw was “the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).
It is not what we look at that matters; it is about what we see.
Raymart lugue
Kingdom-minded ministers are visionary; they see something beyond the reality. Visionary ministers see a picture of what could be and what should be. They are not satisfied with the status quo and negative reports; they see the Kingdom of God as a progressive kingdom – always moving forward.
Having a vision is not only for leaders; every minister must have a vision for the ministry that they do. Everyone must see something beyond the present situation of their families, their local churches, their communities and their service to the people. Without a vision, an open valley filled with dry bones will never become an exceeding great army! Where there is no vision – a godly revelation of what could be and what should be – the people will perish.
If you are a Sunday school teacher, what do you see concerning the future of your students? If you are an usher or a greeter, what do you see in the lives of the people whom you welcome to the church every Sunday? If we don’t see our kids growing in the fear of God, why are we teaching them anyway? If we don’t see the unbelievers being baptised in Jesus’ name, what’s the point of our ministries?
Everything starts in our mind. Solomon wrote, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7a). Even the whole heaven and heart came from the Word – logos or thought – of God. Because we are created in the image of God, that same potential power is resident in us. He can do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think.
In the Kingdom of God, the poorest of all is not the minister with a little ministry; it is the minister who doesn’t have a vision for his ministry.
Raymart lugue
Andy Stanley mentioned the significance of a vision in leadership and ministry:
a. Passion – Vision evokes emotion. These emotions serve to reinforce our commitment to the vision. Thoughts of what could be and should be, and the emotions associated with those thoughts, drove people to all kind of extremes.
b. Motivation – Vision-driven people are motivated people. Vision, for instance, is a big part of the reason you completed college or graduate school. Likewise, vision will be a motivation to move forward and be persistent in one’s ministry.
c. Direction – Vision sets direction for our lives. It simplifies decision making and will prioritise our values. People without clear vision are easily distracted.
d. Purpose – A vision gives you a reason to get up in the morning. Without it, odds are you will come to the end of your life and wonder. Wonder what you could have done – what you should have done. Like so many, you may wonder if your life really mattered at all.
Andy Stanley, Visioneering
Loren Yadon believes, “The poorest of all men is not the man without a cent; it is the man without a dream [vision].” Likewise, in the Kingdom of God, the poorest of all is not the minister with a little ministry; it is the minister who doesn’t have a vision for his ministry.
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