January 14, 2026

Today's Reading: Ezekiel 36:33-37:14

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 36:33-37:14; Romans 5:1-21

“Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” (Ezekiel 37:9–10)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

One of the most memorable and strangest passages in Holy Scripture is the Valley of Dry Bones. It is a gruesome and fascinating text: dried human bones scattered across a barren valley reassemble into skeletons and then fully formed bodies at a word from the prophet.

But then, after the rattling of bones reassembling, it is quiet once again. A valley now scattered with still, silent bodies. It isn’t until Almighty God commands Ezekiel to speak breath into them that they live, breathe, and stand on their own feet. How weird is that? It’s really weird until you realize that God speaking breath and life into darkness and death is pretty much how it always works. “Let there be…” and there is. “Lazarus, come out!” and he does. 

Ezekiel is given to see a future and a promise for God’s people who are lost in exile in a foreign land, and he speaks to them in comfort and proclamation. “This is not the end of your life; God has a plan and a future for his faithful children.” 

It may seem like you are at wits' end, lost in a maze, or a wilderness, or a dark place with seemingly no way out and no future, but God has other things in mind for you. He has a promise and a future: life everlasting, and he gives it to you through the power of the breath, His Holy Spirit.

Jesus breathes that Spirit on His disciples on Easter evening. That Spirit breathes on the assembled hearers at Pentecost, and that Spirit breathes new life and faith into you at your Baptism. The life, forgiveness, and salvation won for you in Christ Jesus’s death and resurrection are given to you while you are still lost and dead in sin, given completely by God’s grace and favor for you.

When you feel like you have no way out, or that you are completely lost, hear the Word of the Lord and let His breath refresh you and revive you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Holy Spirit, enter in, And in our hearts Your work begin, Your dwelling place now make us. Sun of the soul, O Light divine, Around and in us brightly shine, To joy and gladness wake us That we may be Truly living, To You giving Prayer unceasing And in love be still increasing. (LSB 913:1)

Author: Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wichita Falls, TX.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.