This was not on today’s list of things to do.  I have about twenty other tasks to accomplish today, but as I was reading this morning, I felt compelled to write it down and share.  This past weekend, we had a wonderful speaker, Diane Mullins, at our church who shared a powerful message on healing and wholeness.  Without rehashing the entire sermon, I’ll jump right into the point that has stuck with me for days……“Listen for the rattle”.

In Ezekiel chapter 37, we see a vision of a valley which was full of dead, dry bones.  The Lord then tells Ezekiel to speak a prophetic message to these bones and command them to hear the Word of the Lord.  And to declare that they’ll come to life once again.  After doing so, there was a “rattling” noise all across the valley and the bones of each body began to come together.  The muscles reattached and flesh formed over the bones.  But they were lifeless;  lacking breath inside of them.  So the Lord told Ezekiel to speak another prophetic word; this time to the winds, calling them forth to fill the bodies with the breath they needed to come alive.  “So I spoke the message as He commanded me, and breath came into their bodies.  They all came to life and stood up on their feet-a great army.”  (Ezekiel 37:10 NKJV).

What an awesome illustration of the power of our words and the ability to change a situation through what we speak.  Too often, we hold little importance in our speech and we consider ourselves insignificant and unimportant.  Our focus remains on our flaws and insecurities, rather than who God is and the authority He has given us.  The Bible says that the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us.  This is not only for physical healing, but for our spiritual breakthrough as well.  We can boldly face what may seem like a dead, lifeless situation and prophesy to it; calling it back to life.  Through the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to resuscitate and rescue what seemed lost.  When we activate our faith, through the speaking of His Word, we are a walking weapon that can disable the enemy.  And though it is a process and we don’t always see change overnight, we can be assured that the Lord hears us and is fighting on our behalf.  We just need to listen for the “rattle” and continue speaking life.  What if your breakthrough was a word away?

I honestly feel that so many Christians, myself at the top of the list, are currently at a fork in the road spiritually.  We are in a time like never before and the choice is ours.  Will we fight for what we want or just accept the conditions around us?  Will we choose to overcome our feelings and praise before we see the victory or will we retreat and hide until the storm passes?  Our faith and strength do not come from the easy days.  But they are formed in the fire.  Fashioned through intense heat, but shaped into the image of Christ.  There is a saying that the same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg.  It’s not about the hot water we may be in, but it’s what we allow it to do to us.  Will it make you tough and bitter, or soft and surrendered?

Just as the disciples mourned Jesus’ death on the cross, the situation wasn’t as though it seemed.  The resurrection plan and process was already in motion for a divine purpose.  And in time, Christ was raised from the dead and the latter was greater than the former.  His physical death served a much needed purpose; and so do the trials we face.  And even though we may not visibly see any changes or feel any relief, we need to speak as though we do.  Not denying our pain, but rather calling our victory forth.  We may have to declare it every day for a long time, but I know that the Lord is faithful to finish what He started in us.  And He didn’t allow the trial to simply leave us there, but to draw us closer to Him and strengthen our faith.  To gain a deeper understanding of who He is and His great love for us.  So that we know, in all things, God is good and exceedingly able to do the impossible.