Then God said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 37:4-6

A good many citizens of the United States are familiar with the steeple of Boston's Old North Church. That's the place where Paul Revere, and others, got the advance warning the British were coming.

If you don't know the story, you probably still know this line: "One if by land and two if by sea."

Most people don't know the basement of the Old North Church is also a graveyard -- the final resting place for approximately 1,100 Bostonians. Some of those residents are rich and famous heroes of the Revolution; others are nameless and forgotten.

All paid a fee to be buried in the Old North Church. Of course, practicality dictated that when space became scarce, the bones were moved from their semi-private resting place and relocated into a common pit.

Recently, researchers have been looking over church records and, almost literally, trying to make heads and tails out of the skeletal remains.

This, of course, is not a problem for the Lord. He knew us before we were ever born. He was accomplishing our salvation when His Son was born, suffered, died, and rose. He has promised to show His power and breathe life into our dry bones.

Even as Jesus has risen from the dead, so, too, shall we rise. On that day the Lord won't need to pour over DNA samples; He won't keep repeating, "the hip bone's connected to the thigh bone; the thigh bone's connected to the . . . ." In an instant, God will bring us back and prove -- because of Jesus -- nobody's final resting place is final.

Those who have Jesus as their Savior from sin will be given eternal life; those who never believed on Him -- well, you know the rest of that story.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, You who created the universe with a thought have the power to breathe life into our dead bones. For the sacrifice of the Savior who gives us eternal life, our deepest thanks and gratitude. May we all await the day of resurrection with anticipation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 10-12    John 3:1-15

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