I’ve been doing a Bible study with a large group of ladies for a few years now. We are currently covering the book of Ezekiel, and I’ll be honest—I’ve not been looking forward to it. BUT…as usual, God has taken what seemed to be a very daunting part of scripture, and turned it into something surprisingly eye opening for me, and even though we are only a few weeks into the study, themes of grief and sorrow and unexpected blessing and hope have been made manifest. Grief has a way of leaving us hollow. When someone we love dies, it feels as though the life has drained out of us, leaving behind only scattered pieces—memories, regrets, longing, and silence. In those moments, we long for something to hold on to, and that’s where Hope in the Valley of Dry Bones begins to speak into our sorrow. We wonder if we will ever feel whole again.

In the book of Ezekiel, God gives the prophet a vision that carries this same message—Hope in the Valley of Dry Bones. Ezekiel is carried by the Spirit into a valley filled with dry bones—lifeless, brittle, and scattered beyond recognition. God asks him, “Son of man, can these bones live?” From a human perspective, the answer is obvious: of course not! Bones don’t come back to life. But God isn’t asking to test Ezekiel’s logic; He’s inviting him to witness the power of HOPE.

God tells Ezekiel to speak His Word over the bones. As he does, they begin to rattle and reconnect, sinew and flesh covering them once more. What a sight that must have been!  Finally, God breathes His Spirit into them, and they rise to their feet as a living army. ALIVE! What once looked hopeless and abandoned is filled with life again.

This vision wasn’t only for Israel in their exile. It’s also for us in our valleys of grief. When we feel scattered and lifeless, God reminds us that He is a restorer. He doesn’t minimize the reality of our loss, but He meets us IN it with His Spirit, the very breath of life.

Grief convinces us that “this is the end. I will never recover or feel normal or hopeful or joy again.” The dry bones in our heart seem too far gone, too brittle to ever be whole again. But God whispers into that place: “I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live” (Ezekiel 37:14). He doesn’t promise to erase the ache, but He does promise that despair is not the final word. His Spirit is.

For those mourning, this truth offers a steadying hope: even here, in the valley, God is with us. Even when all around us seems dry and lifeless, He is not finished with us. He will breathe strength into our weakness, peace into our storm, and hope into our despair. The dry bones of our soul are not beyond His reach.

Ezekiel’s vision assures us that when we feel undone, God is still at work. The God who brings life out of death will hold us, restore us, and, in time, teach our hearts to beat with hope again!

Because with Him, even dry bones can live.