Weekend Report | The Freeport News | PDF Online Guide

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Home National Sports Business Lifestyles Religion Arts & Culture Pulse Spice Editorial letters Opinion Foodie Sportscope Real Talks Weekend Report PDF's Classifieds Contact About Us Archive Weather

In all that you do, trust God 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. . . . So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet-a vast army. — Ezekiel 37:7-8,10. Last Sunday, we celebrated Pentecost, a day which saw the beginning of the church as we know it. Pentecost began with a core group of 12 faithful men. They were guided by the spirit of the Lord. These men were not great scholars. They were not famous, nor were they wealthy. Pentecost reminds us that God can do the impossible. He can take a group of timid men, put a little fire in them and make them into a powerful force. Yes, Pentecost teaches us that God is able. In the above text, we are told of the prophet Ezekiel, who by the power of the Spirit, was transported into a valley of dry bones. Ezekiel was presented with what appeared to be an impossible challenge. Notwithstanding this, by the command of God, he prophesied to a valley full of dry bones and they came to life. The vision of the dry bones in the valley was God's way of restoring hope to his people, the children of Israel, who had lost hope. Through the prophet, Ezekiel, he was assuring them that he was able to renew their hope and rescue them from captivity. Some of you who are reading this article might be in the state in which the children of Israel were, in Babylon. Your Babylon might be the loss of your job, illness, domestic setbacks, or children-related problems. These are dilemmas over which you have no control, consequently, you draw the conclusion that there is no hope for you. As a result, you might get the urge to end it all or to do something illegal. Well, I am here to tell you that there is hope. Your problem cannot be too great for God to handle. There are people who have had greater problems than you and the Lord delivered them. Remember he is the God of the valley of the dry bones. I know that because God has come to my rescue so many times. He was there for me when I thought all was lost. He rescued me when there was little or no hope. God has been my fortress. He can be your fortress too. God took the bones in the valley of dry bones, which had been there for weeks or months or even years, and blew the breath of life into them, bringing them back to life. He took the dry bones of a church and created a great miracle, bringing the Christian Church to life. When your problems become too big for you, give them to the one who is best at solving problems. Ask Jesus to come in and help you out. Yes, talk to Jesus and he will bring you the relief which you so desperately desire. Don't take matters into your own hand. The taking of your life, or becoming involved in criminal activities because you don't see a way out, is not the answer. Give God a chance to intervene and bring you through. My friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, he will see you through and give you peace. The men of the early church were like the dry bones in the valley. They waited for the Lord to act. He took those dry bones, the apostles, fearful men, and transformed them into giants. Nothing can stand in your way when you place God first. He will guide you out of your dilemma and place your feet on a solid footing. In all that you do, trust God. Rev. Samuel M. Boodle, pastor at The Lutheran Church of Nassau, can be reached at P.O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bahamas or telephone 323-4107. Thursday, June 4, 2009