Pentecost – Day 1 (25 June)
God’s Spirit gives life
Um(Imi)bhalo weBhayibheli
UHezekeli 37
Isigodi samathambo omileyo
It is often only when we reach our lowest point in our lives that we experience the power of God’s Spirit. After all, Jesus Christ taught us: Blessed are those who know how dependent they are on God. We also remember Paul’s famous words: “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
The prophet Ezekiel is going through a spiritual low. He experiences that he is in a valley full of dry bones. The whole picture speaks of death and hopelessness. It is symbolic of the nation of Israel in exile. They lost courage. Sometimes we feel that way too – we no longer feel like living. We find it difficult to look to the future. The sadness overwhelms us and we feel spiritually drained.
In the scripture, the Lord shows the prophet a situation that seems impossible and asks him to do something that sounds completely illogical. He must stand firm as a prophet and speak to the dry bones. In this way, God involves Ezekiel. God works miracles while you and I continue with our responsibilities as children of the Lord – no matter how dire things around us may seem.
How do we, as children of God, act when faced with difficult situations? Not by withdrawing ourselves and giving up, but by continuing with our responsibilities as children of God. God’s Spirit now dwells in us and makes us alive. He makes us look forward again and shapes us into new people who start living and acting in a new way. God ultimately works miracles when we live with forgiveness, compassion and endurance. There is hope. We will start to experience God’s deliverance more and this will happen in ways we do not expect.
