Hope for the Hopeless

The hand of the LORD was on me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry. Then He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I replied, "Lord GOD, only You know." - Ezekiel 37:1-3 HCSB

Is your whole world caving in around you? Do you feel there is absolutely no hope? Do your troubles seem to mount up insurmountably?[1] Cheer up; I have good news. There is hope for the hopeless!

The Devil’s greatest tool is discouragement. He is never happier than when he sees people giving in to despair and becoming lost in hopelessness. He tries to create situations which, on the surface, will appear to be totally and absolutely hopeless.

The nation of Israel was virtually dead. It was lifeless, scattered, and bleached just as this conquered army’s corpses, which were strewn across a battleground. There was no possible way that they would ever arise from this defeat. No possible human way!

God alone holds the answer to our hopeless situations. Apart from God our efforts are meaningless and we experience a sense of abandonment that no temporary success can alleviate. Apart from God we are excluded from God’s people and do not know the promises that God has made. What utter discouragement living without God and without hope must be![2]

Ezekiel was right in answering, “Lord God, only You know.” From man’s perspective, it is absurd to suppose that dead bones could ever live again. But the absurdly impossible become supremely possible when God gets involved.[3] In fact Adonai delights in doing the impossible!

There are no hopeless situations. There are only people who have grown hopeless about them. The Psalmist said, “Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.”[4] No one is truly hopeless whose hope is in God. Are you despairing? The answer is simple. Quit looking at your limited circumstances and look at limitless God.

The prophet spoke at the Divine command the Divine message. Picture preaching to piles of bones – bizarre, don’t you think? But God’s ways are not man’s ways. When the God’s Word goes forth, things begin to happen.[5] Every conflict the Messiah had with Satan was won by using the Word of God. In each and every recorded case, He declared, "It is written." The Word of God is a window to those in the prison of hopelessness through which they can look and see the light of hope and get direction for their lives.[6] It is a source of life that can even restart the heart of skeletons![7]

So turn to God and His Word and regain hope.



[1] Job 7:6-7
[2] Ephesians 2:12
[3] Matthew 19:25-26
[4] Psalm 42:11
[5] Hebrews 4:12; Romans 10:17; 15:4; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 1 John 4:4
[6] Psalm 119:105
[7] Ezekiel 37:9-10; Romans 8:10-11