Thoughts

I have quite a bit of stuff on my mind tonight, a few things that God has put in my head tonight when I was at my friend's Awakening art show.

First of all, there was a point where there was a girl who was using like, flag-type things and dancing, and it was explained that what she was doing was completely inspired by the Holy Spirit, not rehearsed at all. And it lead to explaining how we can worship God by simply following the Holy Spirit and doing whatever He leads us to do.

And it got me thinking about music. Especially when listening to music. I find that if I am listening to music, I move. Like, not get-up-and-dance kind of moving, though I have been known to randomly do that too haha! But like, foot bobbing or tapping, or playing table drums with my index fingers (y'all know what I'm talking about, right? =P)

Which led to me thinking, what is it about music that makes me move? Why is my body so prone to moving in response to moving?

No, I don't really have an answer, but it just got me thinking about it... Am I meant to dance? To dance for God, like David did? (But preferably clothed...)

Another thing I was thinking about was the story of Ezekiel prophesying to the dry bones. The group at the show did a piece about it, where they sang and read the Scripture passage:

Ezekiel 37:1-15 - The Valley of Dry Bones
The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

Let's stop here. Can you picture being Ezekiel in this situation? Being asked by God, "Can these dead dried up bones live?" I don't know about you, but I would've been like, "Uh... No." And yet Ezekiel says,

"Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

Wow. It almost sounds like Ezekiel doesn't want to give a straight answer for fear of being wrong. Had he said outright, "No," it would have shown lack of faith that God can do anything. And yet he doesn't straight out say, "Yes," which to me says that he doesn't quite have the faith that God could do it, but he's afraid to reveal that to God.

Moving on:

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"

WHAT??? These bones are dead! They've been dead for a long time, long enough to be dried up and all piled up like this! You're trying to tell me that these bones could come to life?

It's almost like God was asking Ezekiel to test Him. "Do it! Tell these bones that! See if I can actually make them live again!" Could you imagine where this story would have gone had Ezekiel doubted God and didn't prophesy over these bones because of a lack of faith? Could God have gotten His point across as effectively? Would He have chosen someone else to prophesy to the bones, and Ezekiel would've just lost out on that opportunity? My mind reels with all the different what-ifs!

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then imagine actually seeing these bones really coming back together as bodies! Seeing that God CAN do something so extreme and impossible! Actually seeing God doing what He said He can do!

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

And then, not only have these bones become bodies again, but they come alive!!! It kinda reminds me of the creation story in Genesis 2, where God molds the mud into a human shape, then breathes life into the nostrils to make Adam come alive. Except in this story, the breath comes from the winds, not directly from God Himself. Huh.

Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'"