The Valley

I'm not at all going to pretend to be deep in this blog. To keep it simple, I have been reading over Ezekiel 37, which is probably one of the most preached passages of scripture in the Bible. It is the story of the hand of the Lord coming upon the prophet Ezekiel, bringing him out and setting him down in a valley that was full of bones. The passage says that there were many bones (possibly millions) and they were very dry (most likely due to the atmosphere, the environment). Then God asks Ezekiel the famous question; "Son of man, can these bones live?" Ezekiel gives the correct answer when you don't know what to say; "O Lord God, You know."

I have thought about this for a while now. I have thought about how many sermons have been preached by those who have never placed one foot in 'The Valley'. It's also very easy to get critical at Ezekiel for his seeming lack of faith, but until you've been in a valley of death, where there is no hope, you have no idea how you would respond. This great prophet gave no cute sweet answer.

I can identify with Ezekiel. Moving to New York City over a year ago was very fun, exciting, adventurous, risky, dangerous, and rewarding. This past year has been a time where God literally brought me into 'The Valley'. From the Ghetto's of Brooklyn, to the artistic agnostic culture of Post-Christian Manhattan (Lower Manhattan is 2% evangelical), I have begun to understand more of what it must have been like for Ezekiel. Time would not allow me to even begin to write of what my eyes have seen over the last year. I will say this, when you walk by enough benches and see teenager after teenager, homeless, addicted to drugs, no bath, no hope, no future, and no telling what they do to survive on a daily basis, you will begin to understand a little about the valley.

Notice this one important fact; the only reason Ezekiel had the privilege and opportunity to 'prophesy' to these bones was because he was 'positioned' in the right place at the right time, and that place was "The Valley". Oh that God would deliver us from 'Pretty Prophets' who sit in Ivory towers prophesying blessing after blessing over the same people year after year while never allowing their eyes to be opened much less their feet to move to rescue the millions upon millions of people that are perishing in this hour of comfortable Christianity. This is not a doom and gloom blog, by no means. Let me finish.

God is raising up an army, and that army will be found in the valleys that are scattered across America tonight, from the cardboard boxes (houses) of Skid Row in Los Angeles, to the Ghetto's of Chicago and New York, to the suburbs of middle class America where both mother and father work to maintain the 'illusion' of wealth while their children suffer. Yes, God is going to raise up an army from the lives of men and women, youth and children who have no hope, no life in front of them, no opportunity for any type of dream. People who have been surrounded by death, destruction and despair. People who have lived in environments that have caused their bones to become 'very dry'. Yes, these dry bones are going to hear the voice of a prophetic generation and they will come together in unity and authority, filled with the breath of God, an exceedingly great army.

To be continued...