Hint. If God ever asks...
Illustration
Hint. If God ever asks you the question, "Can these bones live?" the correct answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Ezekiel answered that question in good King James English, "Thou knowest, Lord!" Some might think he was saying that only God knows for sure, but we can argue that Ezekiel was answering in the affirmative: "Yes, Lord, you know these bones can live!" Ezekiel, living in the midst of tragic times, knew that God is the God of possibilities! God is the God of optimism and confidence and hope! Even in the face of unbelievable obstacles, God assures the unlikely.
It is like the man who was condemned to die by the king. The man pleaded to have the execution postponed. "O Great King, I will teach your horse to fly if you will postpone my death for one year." A friend asked him, "Why do that? It's inevitable that you are going to die!" The man responded, "No, it's not inevitable. In fact, the odds are four to one that I will not be executed!"
"How do you figure those odds?" asked the friend. The man answered, "It's simple. One, the king might die before the year is up. Two, I might die of natural causes. Three, the horse might die, and four, I just might teach the horse to fly! It's four to one in my favor!"
Can Israel be restored? Can our enemies be vanquished? Can these bones live? Yes, Lord! You know it! We are called to have such optimism in the face of obstacles.
It is like the man who was condemned to die by the king. The man pleaded to have the execution postponed. "O Great King, I will teach your horse to fly if you will postpone my death for one year." A friend asked him, "Why do that? It's inevitable that you are going to die!" The man responded, "No, it's not inevitable. In fact, the odds are four to one that I will not be executed!"
"How do you figure those odds?" asked the friend. The man answered, "It's simple. One, the king might die before the year is up. Two, I might die of natural causes. Three, the horse might die, and four, I just might teach the horse to fly! It's four to one in my favor!"
Can Israel be restored? Can our enemies be vanquished? Can these bones live? Yes, Lord! You know it! We are called to have such optimism in the face of obstacles.
