A devotional on resurrection, release, and new life in Christ.
Opening Thought
The end of October brings a certain chill — leaves curling on the ground, air thick with the scent of earth and memory. Skeletons hang in doorways, and we pass by old bones dressed in humor or fright. But for me, bones have always been symbols of what remains — the structure of what once was alive.
Sometimes, I realize there are bones of my old self buried in the past — and in the minds of others. People remember the “me” that used to react in anger, fear, or doubt. Those fossils of who I was still lie there, preserved in other people’s memories. But I’ve learned something freeing: God never calls us to live among the bones. He calls us to rise.
Scripture Readings
• Ezekiel 37:5 (NLT) – “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!”
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) – “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
• Romans 8:11 (NLT) – “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.”
Reflection
The prophet Ezekiel stood in a valley full of dry bones — symbols of despair, memory, and loss. Yet God told him to speak life over them. When he did, the bones rattled, connected, and rose again — restored not to who they once were, but to something new.
That’s what resurrection looks like in us. The bones of who we were — our old habits, failures, or labels — aren’t meant to haunt us. They remind us that God can bring life even from what seems long dead.
But the harder truth is this: others may still see the fossils. They may still hold an image of you that no longer exists. And that’s okay. Let them remember the bones. You’re walking in the Spirit’s breath now.
We can’t force others to see our resurrection story — we can only live it faithfully, letting God’s breath keep our new life moving forward.
Application
1. Identify the Bones: What parts of your old self do others still see or mention?
2. Speak Life: Pray Ezekiel 37:5 aloud this week — “Lord, breathe life into me again.”
3. Release Control: Don’t try to prove your transformation; live it. Let God’s renewal be your testimony.
4. Reflect on Renewal: Take a quiet walk this week — notice the fallen leaves turning to soil. Remember, what dies in one season feeds new life in the next.
Closing Prayer
Lord, thank You for breathing life into the bones of who I used to be. Help me walk boldly in the new creation You’ve made. When others remember my fossils, let their memories become testimonies of Your grace. May the breath of Your Spirit fill my days with purpose, hope, and resurrection life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The Engrafted life 