TUESDAY - 23RD APRIL, 2024
MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - Olusola ADEJUMO
RISING UP IS AN EXCEEDING VAST ARMY (A)! - The Essence & Value of Life Series 007
Read Ezekiel 37:1-10
Ezekiel 37:10, KJV
"So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army."
We don't sharpen a sword just to leave it in the scabbard. Nay! Just like I said yesterday, every resurrection, reviving and restoring is unto a purpose - that you may do what you've been afore doing - live in purpose. When Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law, she immediately rises to minister to their need (Matt.8:14-15). I suspect that woman had been in that habit before. So, the reviving, resurrection and restoring of any human vessel from death or anything that is hindering his purposefulness is to an end that he might be useful again, give his ministration and live out his purpose once more.
Today, we have travelled and where have we travelled to? Ezekiel 37! That's the valley of dry bones. God takes Ezekiel for a view and then asks him if those bones could live. He gives an answer saying, "only Thou knows." He throws back the ball in God's court. Why would he do that? Humanly speaking and being in one's physical senses, one couldn't have agreed those bones could live. As in, these are numerous wasted bones. They are not only scattered but are as dry as the Egyptian bricks. No traces of life in them at all. If they were slain bodies that had not even decayed, probably Ezekiel could have seen a possibility in their living yet again. However, the Bible comments, "they were very dry" (v.2). Seeing all these, he concluded that, "only God would know." This shows the limitedness of man and the unlimitedness of God as we shall see.
However, God chooses to still flow through this same vessel that couldn't boldly register the possibility of those dry bones living again. He tells him to prophesy His sovereign message to them - that dry bones will live again, be once more beautiful and presentable after He might have covered them with flesh, muscles and skin (v.6).
First of all, we're seeing again that undebatable truth that when the breath is lacking in any living thing, life ceases to be. As a matter of fact, the importance of the breath in any living thing hits a crescendo and height of heights when all these wasted bones are coupled together and covered but couldn't still live or take being (by exercising characteristics of a living thing) until God through the mouth of His prophet ordered the wind (significance of breath or spirit) to enter into them. So, we are seeing the foolishness that may be in giving the greatest treatment, attention and time to the human body. It is what will fall and get eaten by worms. Yet, a person's spirit may not be regenerated let alone his mind being constantly renewed with the Word to resemble Christ's so that he might live to give value and display character (morals) in his society. Your body is just a carcass. It would one day fall to the ground like those carcasses of bones. However, it is given you to contact this sense realm so that your spirit and your soul would find expressions. So, you ought not to be living from the body out but from the inside out. Your regenerated human spirit (downloading into your mind) ought to take the lead or give the instruction that your body would now be seen doing by everybody. Imagine if your spirit is regenerated and alive to pick what God would have you do per term. How could you miss your way or be caught in error or what would cause you or the society harm? Never!
Anyway, the man of God prophesies and God lives up to His previous confession. The bones (particular to each slain warrior) travels to find, join and form the original person it belongs to. Then, God lays flesh, muscle and skin on the bony structure. However, no life until it was gathered from the four winds. Until then, no sign or traces of life could be traced to all these slain yet dressed up warriors. Despite having been dressed, the importance of the breath proved itself because they neither could perform any human action let alone live for the purpose they were previously known for. Just then however, we have a record that "the breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army." Standing upon their feet is an act consequent upon having received the breath just the same way Adam could blink and exercise other human rights when He received the breath of life from God.
What was shocking after the repair and the bringing back of these dead dry bones to usefulness is that they eventually numbered into an army or array of people and stood up as one. We could have been denied seeing this experience. We might have not experienced their vastness, resourcefulness and mightiness as an army if they were never treated or called back. But, thank God for His treat. The adjective "vast" describes them as a horde and also reveals their joint strength. A vast army would have a vast strength.
You see, that's what I'm saying, you can't underscore what would happen to you at your revival. You don't know your vastness and might yet until God grants you hope to do once more what you've afore done. That's when you'll see or taste your glory yet to come. Those of you who once lived in purpose but whose heads have been shaven, the Spirit has come to sweep and scoop you to your feet so that you will stand a vast army at your rising. You will be shocked also that you could stand up to outperform your beginning or deliver yet impactfully. Who knows that Samson could still stand "a vast army" - bringing down many at his death than he did during his early years of purpose? (Judges 16:30). People, I see a new day. A rising that will scare the enemy. A rising that'll make you yourself cry, weep and give glory to the Lord. Your rising is that of a "vast army" and an "exceeding vast army." It will strike fear in the devil who thought you have been ended. All demons sent to hamper you will run helter skelter but to no avail. Why? You have risen with no chain or bound. You're loosed and set free. You're declared righteous and whole again before the Father. You're justified and re-glorified. I see a vast army whose havoc would be deadlier than when he once lived. Hmmm, Satan fears the new thing you have risen to become but I praise this new thing. A vast army on his feet! One ready to charge and do as instructed. One ready to be motivated by the motivations of his Creator. One who won't back down until he has eaten God's will and finished it. One fully dressed and equipped to live and discharge purpose. An exceeding vast army!
PRAYER: Lord, I am revisited, re-empowered, re-engaged and redeployed. I am not useless but active and in the here and now.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Joshua 24:1-33, Luke 21:1-28, Psalm 89:38-52, Proverbs 13:20-23
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