December 7 | Ezekiel 37:1-14

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Ezekiel 37:1-14

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REFLECTION

Restoration and Hope

By Kim Starr

At the time Ezekiel wrote this, the Israelites were in the midst of the Babylonian exile. It was a time of great despair and hopelessness as they had been taken captive by the Babylonians, their city and temple had been destroyed, they were utterly defeated, they had lost hope, and they were feeling spiritually and emotionally dry, just like the bones Ezekiel sees in his vision.

The scene Ezekiel describes takes place while he is under God’s power and while he is in God’s spirit. The valley where the vision takes place is full of very dry, brittle bones that have been dead for a long time. God asks Ezekiel if the bones can live. Ezekiel does not give a direct answer to the question; rather, he defers to God and tells Him that He knows. God tells Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones two different times; the first time the bones become connected and the second time the bones come to life, stand up on their feet, and become an immense army.

God announces that the bones “are the entire house of Israel” (v. 11) and affirms His people are in graves, but the graves are of their own doing and are a result of their own disobedience. God states that He will open the graves, put His breath on His people so they will live, and will return them to their homeland. Later God does exactly as He has promised.

Ezekiel’s vision shows proof of the power of God’s Word and Spirit, and offers lessons on restoration, hope, and the promise of new life. What happens is a clear demonstration of God’s sovereignty and His absolute power of control. Once again, God demonstrates that He has the power to bring life and renewal to a seemingly hopeless situation.

From this passage, we learn that God has the power to bring hope and restoration to those who are spiritually dead or desolate. His Word can bring life and transformation. Even when we are at our lowest low, God can and will restore us and bring us hope. We need to speak His Word, hang on to His promises, and trust Him. He did what He said He would do for the Israelites, and He can do the same for us.

PRAYER

Dear God, you promised new life to your people by breathing life into a valley of dry bones. Breathe life into us, too, so that we might live passionately for you. Let us never forget how you keep your promises. Restore us and bring us hope. Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KIM STARR

I have been a member of UALC since I was 2-years-old. Over my life I have participated in, and volunteered for, numerous ministries, programs, and activities, all of which have grown and strengthened my faith. I have been blessed beyond measure by not only being a part of this congregation, but also by being able to worship with three generations of my family.

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December 6| Isaiah 26:16-19

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DAILY READING

Isaiah 26:16-19

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REFLECTION

O come, O come, Emmanuel

by Ken Dillman

In his great wisdom, Solomon wrote, “There is nothing new under the sun” and “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done.” (Eccl. 1:9)

Our world seems to be caught in the proverbial hamster wheel; one in which we perpetually do the same things over and over, expecting different results. Many entrust themselves to the belief that money or success or possessions or experiences or somebody else will bring them ultimate satisfaction and create a perfect world for them.

Ancient Israel had the same problem; in today’s text, Isaiah captures the predicament of Israel as they were living under the judgment of God…again. Israel’s king would cause the people to turn away from God and worship foreign gods and idols; God would bring judgment, the people would lament and repent, and return to God, only to repeat the same thing over and over under different kings.

Isaiah describes the emotional/spiritual pain of the Hebrew people attempting to create their own perfect world, equating it to a woman in labor, but only giving birth to win—nothing. We live in a world where people are constantly striving for utopia, yet apart from God, often turbulence is all we seem to be able to produce.

Christmas, and the season of Advent is our annual reminder that the human heart longs for something greater, something more perfect than itself, a longing that can only be filled by Jesus Christ.

Isaiah looked far into the future and encouraged the Hebrew people to sing for joy of the coming time when the dead shall live and their bodies rise; the hope of resurrection made possible because of the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah.

That’s the hope of this season of Advent for us today and we too can sing for joy as the great Christmas hymn declares…

 O come, O come, Emmanuel

 And ransom captive Israel

 That mourns in lonely exile here

 Until the Son of God appears

 Rejoice! Rejoice!

 Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel

The Church celebrates the fulfillment of ancient Israel’s expectancy of her Messiah, knowing the Messiah arrived as a babe in a manger, Jesus. The Church also looks forward to the second coming of the Messiah, when he will create a new heaven and a new earth, a true utopia and reign as king eternal.

PRAYER

Our Father,

Help us to continue to live in the hope of Jesus, your son, as we look forward to celebrating his arrival into our world to save us from sin and self. Would you give us opportunities this Advent season to share the true meaning of Christmas with those who have never known it. Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KEN DILLMAN

My wife, Karen and I have been attending UALC for 6-7 years and enjoy God's presence in our gatherings. We live in Hilliard; our three adult children live in Central Ohio. I am a retired Chaplain and Pastor, and enjoy writing, walking, jogging, and listening to live music. I appreciate the opportunity to write for the church’s devotionals.

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December 5 | Romans 4:16-25

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DAILY READING

Romans 4:16-25

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REFLECTION

Never Hopeless!  

by Judy Webb

Abraham’s faith has become the standard for all believers. “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations…” (Romans 4:18)

This man, Abram, believed God’s promise of becoming a parent, even at his advanced age. Note how God waited until it was physically impossible for Abram and Sari to have a child. God waited until only a miracle could make the promise a reality. But Abram was fully persuaded that God’s power would match his promise.

Have you ever found yourself in a seemingly hopeless situation where you threw up your hands in resignation and admitted that only a miracle would help? Me too. So, then what happened? I admit that I spent a day or two worrying and imagining every possible negative scenario. I even had one or two sleepless nights tossing and fretting before realizing there was a much better way to handle this. Let God take care of it and pray with an open and hope filled heart. Why is it that prayer is often our last resort and not our first response? Let God do what only God can do!

I am sure many of us have amazing stories to tell of how God took care of a problem that was too big for us to handle. We have accounts of God’s intercession in our lives that can only be explained as miraculous. The power of prayer, while often stunning, should not be surprising. God not only answers our pleas for help, but he does it in ways far beyond our most imaginative dreams.

The take-away for me is that, with God there is no hopeless situation. There is only an opportunity for him to reveal his power and love for us. Never doubt that God’s power will match his promise to us.

PRAYER

Oh, Dear Jesus,

Your love for us is so obvious that we can only acknowledge it and return your perfect love with our growing love and trust in you. Prayer is our effective tool and gift which we should always turn to daily. May we never forget, nothing is hopeless with You. Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JUDY WEBB

I have been a member of UALC for 26 years and have been writing devotions for this site for about 17 of them. Writing is my passion. As retired staff I still love everything about UALC and its members including my small group.

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