What do you do when a situation feels completely hopeless?

When you’ve prayed for years, when your child seems spiritually far from God, when a relationship feels beyond repair, or when circumstances look as lifeless as the dry bones Ezekiel saw in his vision—where do you put your hope?

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, we continue our chronological Bible reading plan through Ezekiel 37–39, with special attention to one of the most famous passages in Ezekiel: the valley of dry bones.

Ezekiel 37 gives us a powerful picture of God’s resurrection power and His faithfulness to His covenant promises to Israel. God takes what appears completely dead and demonstrates that He alone has the power to bring life.

And while this prophecy specifically concerns the nation of Israel, it reveals something profoundly encouraging about the character of God for every believer: when all hope seems gone, God is still the God of hope.

In This Episode, We’ll Explore:

• The valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37 and what this vision meant for Israel
• Why God sometimes allows circumstances to reach what feels like absolute rock bottom
• The Hebrew word ruach, meaning breath, wind, or spirit, and its connection to creation and the Spirit of God
• God’s promise to restore and reunite His people
• What Ezekiel 37 teaches us about God’s faithfulness when His people have been unfaithful
• Why biblical hope is not confidence in a particular outcome, but confidence in the goodness and character of God
• How Hebrews 11:6 faith changes the way we walk through suffering and uncertainty
• What the dry bones can teach Christian moms about perseverance when circumstances seem lifeless
• The picture of a united Israel under one shepherd and the promise that God will dwell with His people
• How the hope of restoration can encourage parents praying for a prodigal child
• Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning Gog and Israel’s future enemy
• Why God allows enemies and difficult circumstances to arise—and how He ultimately uses them to display His glory
• A preview of Ezekiel’s mysterious and highly debated temple vision

When God Allows Things to Die

One of the most challenging truths in this passage is that God is not always a God of prevention.

He is a God of restoration, resurrection, healing, and hope—but He does not always prevent suffering, loss, disappointment, or circumstances from reaching a place where we can no longer see a way forward.

Sometimes God allows us to stare at what looks like ashes and wonder how He could possibly bring beauty from them.

The valley of dry bones reminds us that God's ability to bring life is not limited by how dead something looks to us.

But there is an important distinction: our hope is not a promise that God will give us the outcome we want.

Our hope is in God Himself.

We can believe that He is good, that He is faithful, that He is working even when we cannot see what He is doing, and that He is able to use even our deepest trials for His purposes.

What Does Ezekiel 37 Mean for Christian Moms?

Ezekiel's vision wasn't originally given as a parenting lesson. It was a prophetic message concerning God's covenant people, Israel.

But the character of God revealed in this passage gives moms tremendous encouragement.

Motherhood will inevitably put us in situations where we don't know how to pray. We may watch a child struggle, make destructive choices, resist the Lord, or walk through circumstances we cannot fix.

We can influence our children.

We can teach them God's Word.

We can model repentance and faithfulness.

We can pray.

But ultimately, God is the one who gives life.

That means we don't have to carry the burden of being our children's savior.

Instead, we can faithfully point them toward the One who is.

And we can keep praying even when what we see looks as hopeless as a valley filled with dry bones.

The God of Hope

Ezekiel 37 reminds us that God's promises don't depend on circumstances looking promising.

Israel was divided, exiled, devastated, and seemingly without hope. Yet God promised that He would gather His people, reunite them, cleanse them, give them His Spirit, and dwell among them.

The chapter ends with one of the most beautiful promises in Ezekiel:

“My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” — Ezekiel 37:27

This is the heart of The Dwelling Place: God has always desired to dwell with His people.

And for those of us who belong to Christ, we have the extraordinary privilege of knowing His presence now while looking forward to dwelling with Him forever.

A Word for the Mom Who Is Still Waiting

Perhaps you've been praying for something for years.

Maybe you're waiting for reconciliation.

Maybe you're praying for a child who has wandered.

Maybe you're faithfully parenting but don't see the fruit you hoped for.

Maybe you're simply exhausted and wondering whether your faithfulness matters.

The valley of dry bones reminds us that God sees what we cannot see.

Keep praying.

Keep obeying.

Keep trusting.

Keep hoping—not because you know exactly what God will do, but because you know who God is.

God is not glorified only when we receive the answer we wanted. He is also glorified when we continue trusting Him when we cannot see the answer.

That kind of faith is precious.

Scripture Mentioned

• Ezekiel 37
• Ezekiel 38–39
• Ezekiel 36
• Genesis 2
• Psalm 23
• Jeremiah 29
• Hebrews 11:6
• Romans 11
• John 10

A Prayer for Christian Moms

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your unparalleled power over our physical and spiritual lives. You are the God who sanctifies us, and You don't simply call us to holiness—you equip us through Your Holy Spirit.

For the mom who feels lonely, unseen, exhausted, or discouraged today, remind her that You are near. Give her clarity about what matters, strength to remain faithful in the things that are good but hard, and wisdom to cast off distractions.

For the situations in our lives that feel dead and lifeless, give us unwavering faith in Your resurrection power while also giving us deep surrender to the outcomes You know are best.

Teach us to hold hope and surrender together.

Thank You, Jesus, that You are our resurrected Lord and that our ultimate hope is found in You.

Amen.Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today we

have the pleasure of focusing on

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the vision Ezekiel is most known

for: the valley of dry bones.

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Today's reading of Ezekiel

37 just may help you convince

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your kids that God loves math.

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It'll remind us of the garden And

we'll definitely be affirmed that God's

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intention is continually to dwell with us.

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Certainly every chapter of God's word is

worthy of meditation, but Ezekiel 37 will

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be our main emphasis today because of what

it tells us about the nation of Israel

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and the character of the God we hope in.

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When we accurately understand

the purposes and the power of

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this God, it truly transforms

our hope and our everyday lives.

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Our last reading concluded

with God describing His new

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covenant with His people.

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He promised to replace their heart

of stone with a heart of flesh

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and to put His Spirit within them.

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today we'll read a vision of

that truly coming to life, I'll

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read the chapter in its entirety

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Steph: The hand of the Lord was

upon me, and he brought me out in

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the Spirit of the Lord and set me

down in the middle of the valley.

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It was full of bones.

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And he led me around among them

And behold, there were very many

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on the surface of the valley,

and behold, they were very dry.

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And he said to me, " Son of

man, can these bones live?"

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And I answered, " O Lord God, you know."

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Then he said to me, "Prophesy over

these bones, and say to them, ' O dry

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bones, hear the word of the Lord.'

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Thus

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Steph: Thus says the Lord God to these

bones, ' Behold, I will cause breath

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to enter you, and you shall live.

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And I will lay sinews upon you, and

will cause flesh to come upon you,

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and cover you with skin and put breath

in you, and you shall live, and you

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shall know that I am the Lord.'"

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So I prophesied as I was commanded,

and as I prophesied there was a sound,

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and behold, a rattling, and the bones

came together, bone to its bone.

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And I looked, and behold, there were

sinews on them, and flesh had come

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upon them, and skin had covered them,

but there was no breath in them.

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Then he said to me, " "Prophesy

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to the breath,

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Steph: prophesy, son of man, and

say to the breath, ' Thus says

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the Lord God: Come from the four

winds, O breath, and breathe on

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these slain, that they may live.'"

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So I prophesied as he commanded

me, and the breath came into them,

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and they lived and stood on their

feet, an exceedingly great army.

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Then he said to me, " Son of man, these

bones are the whole house of Israel.

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Behold, they say, ' Our bones are

dried up, and our hope is lost.

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We are indeed cut off.'

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Therefore prophesy and say to them,

' Thus says the Lord God: Behold,

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I will open your graves and raise

you from your graves, O my people.

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And I will bring you

into the land of Israel.

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And I will put my Spirit within

you, and you shall live, and I

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will place you in your own land.

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Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

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I have spoken and I will

do it, declares the Lord.

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The word of the Lord came to

me, ' Son of man, Take a stick and

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write on it, for Judah and the people

of Israel associated with him.'"

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Then take another stick and write

on it, for Joseph the stick of

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Ephraim and all the house of Israel

associated with him, and join them

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one to another into one stick, that

they may become one in your hand.

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And when your people say to you, will

you not tell us what you mean by these?

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Say to them, thus says the Lord God,

behold, I am about to take the stick of

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Joseph that is in the hand of Ephraim

and the tribes of Israel associated

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with him, and I will join with it

the stick of Judah and make them one

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stick, that they may be one in my hand.

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When the sticks on which you write

are in your hand before their eyes,

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then say to them, thus says the Lord

God, behold, I will take the people

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of Israel from the nations among which

they have gone and will gather them from

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all around and bring them to their own

land And I will make them one nation in

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the land, on the mountains of Israel.

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And one king shall be over them all,

and they shall no longer be two nations

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and no longer divided into two kingdoms.

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They shall not defile themselves

anymore with their idols and

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their detestable things, or with

any of their transgressions.

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But I will save them from all the

backslidings in which they have sinned,

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and will cleanse them, and they shall be

my people, and I will be their God My

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servant David shall be king over them,

and they shall all have one shepherd.

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They shall walk in my rules and

be careful to obey my statutes.

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They shall dwell in the land

that I gave to my servant

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Jacob where your fathers lived.

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They and their children and

their children's children

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shall dwell there forever.

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And David my servant shall

be their prince forever.

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I will make a covenant of peace with them.

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It shall be an everlasting covenant

with them, and I will set them in their

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land and multiply them, and will set

my sanctuary in their midst forever.

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My dwelling place shall be with

them, and I will be their God,

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and they shall be my people.

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Then the nations will know that I am

the Lord who sanctifies Israel when my

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sanctuary is in their midst forevermore

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Let's recall the discouragement

and devastation the people have

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experienced being in exile, knowing

that their beautiful chosen city and

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their temple have been destroyed.

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They have little to hope in,

but God keeps telling them,

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"I still have a plan for you.

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I will not abandon you.

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Even though you have forsaken me, I will

not forsake my covenant and my promises.

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And when I am faithful to you, even

though all the nations have seen

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your faithlessness, everyone will

know that I am the one true God."

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To illustrate the truth that when

all hope is gone, our God remains the

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God of hope, he provides Ezekiel with

this vision of the valley of dry bones

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Thanks to some recent worship songs, you

may have a hard time reading this chapter

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without getting a beat in your head.

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There's a reason that this story

inspires an anthem of praise.

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God's resurrection power at work here

is truly emblematic of His strength

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Perhaps these long dead, dried up bones

being filled with the breath of life and

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the Spirit of God reminded you about God's

creation of Adam and Eve in the garden

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when He breathed His spirit into man.

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The Hebrew word is ruach, and is sometimes

translated breath and sometimes spirit.

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Scripture tells us that it's

God's breath in which we move

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and live and have our being.

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This story was given to the nation

of Israel to display that God

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was not done with them despite

all evidence to the contrary

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In their desperation, God was calling

them back to that hope and that future

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that Jeremiah reminded them of Because

we've read stories of Elijah and Elisha

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raising people from the dead, we know

that individual resurrection wasn't

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a completely unfamiliar concept to

this people, but a whole nation being

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resurrected is astounding and unheard of.

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That's exactly what God will

do for the nation of Israel

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This resurrection occurring

in stages probably symbolizes

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that Israel's resurrection

will happen in stages as well.

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Although Israel exists as a nation

today, most Jewish people do not

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believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

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but one day they will acknowledge Him as

Lord, and God's Spirit will unite them.

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And praise the Lord, you and I

are knit into this rich legacy.

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We are grafted in, and we can rejoice that

often the good promises He has for Israel

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are also things He wants for His church

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So make no mistake, this vision

is for the nation of Israel

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But what I see about the character of

God here absolutely encourages me to

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walk in steadfastness and perseverance

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You and I can hope in the God of the Bible

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Even though he is a God

that lets things die.

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He is a God that allows people and

situations to reach rock bottom.

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Often you and I will encounter situations

in which we don't even know how to pray.

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circumstances where we struggle to have

faith that God could bring any good.

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We will gaze at ashes and wonder how God

could possibly bring beauty from them.

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But if we remember that God is

often a God of protection, but He

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is not always a God of prevention.

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Our God is often a God of restoration

and resurrection, of healing and of hope.

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He's not always a God that spares us

from the diligence and the process of

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being sanctified through suffering.

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When situations in our lives feel

so desperate, I want to call us

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to Hebrews 11:6 faith once again.

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" And without faith, it is impossible to

please Him, for whoever would draw near

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to God must believe that He exists and

that He rewards those who seek Him."

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to please God, you must believe He will

reward your faith, and the more lifeless

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and hopeless the circumstances, the more

He's glorified by your belief in His

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ability to bring goodness out of them.

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Be careful.

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I'm not saying that our hope rests in

a certain outcome for the circumstance.

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That is not a biblical promise Instead,

our hope rests in the goodness of

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God to transform us through trials

and to bring about a good result

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He is glorified by your persistence

when you don't see fruit, and your

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holy stubbornness to not let go

of the testimony when it seems

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that a situation is as dead as

the dry bones Ezekiel witnessed

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And I'm willing to bet that

some element of your motherhood

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has challenged you to cling

to the God of all hope

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This chapter also displayed God's

description of uniting two sticks.

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Think about the importance of

the rod of Aaron that was placed

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in the Ark of the Covenant

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The nation had been divided

after Solomon's reign,

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. Here

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Steph: it's about 570 BC Hundreds

of years later, and God promises

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he will reunite Judah and Israel.

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I'm sure you caught the ending where

God promised that He will be our

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dwelling place He will be our God

and we will be His people, and every

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nation will know that He is the Lord.

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It makes me imagine the parents

of a prodigal child That have

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tarried in prayer for years while

their child was in rebellion.

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And eventually, when that child comes

home, honors their parents, and devotes

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their life for the glory of God, that

everyone watching will be able to see,

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wow, all that hope and all those prayers

of the parents were worth it Like

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this, God the Father will be glorified

by his patient and persistent pursuit

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of his rebellious child, Israel And by

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The way that Israel becomes

sanctified through the exile,

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trials, and tribulations

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The chapter concluded saying that

the nations will know that God

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is the one who sanctifies Israel.

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It's through Him, and His Spirit that

He will transform the people in holiness

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But after those beautiful words of hope

for their future, in chapters 38 and 39,

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God introduces a horrible enemy named

Gog and warns of his future attack.

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Some of the descriptions of Gog are

reminiscent of other enemies of Israel

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in scripture, and the areas mentioned

in these chapters are modern-day Turkey,

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Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

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They're all part of the former

Soviet Union, and during the Cold War

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People mistakenly believed that

this prophecy was about the USSR.

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It's noteworthy that all of these

locations today are Muslim nations.

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It seems most likely that this religion

and ideology Will bring about the

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prophetic fulfillment of Gog that

Ezekiel speaks of in chapters 38 and 39.

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But do you think that this powerful

enemy will be victorious over

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the Lord or over his people?

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Certainly not.

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The God of the Bible will be

glorified among the nations,

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and He will use Gog's defeat to

further reveal that He is the Lord.

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It's this exact purpose that

He allows enemies to rise up.

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God will rightly be elevated and glorified

through being victorious for His people

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And next we enter the portion of Ezekiel

that are some of the most difficult

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chapters in all of scripture to interpret

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we'll discuss it more in future episodes

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But I'll just point out a few things

today The day God revealed this

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temple vision to Ezekiel was also

the day of preparation for Passover.

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This was to be a pivotal day for

Israel since the time of the Exodus,

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and it continued to be as Jesus laid

down his own life on the Passover

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to be the sacrifice for our sins.

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In this vision, God gives a very detailed

description of a gigantic temple.

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It's quite different from

their previous temple

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And a being takes Ezekiel around

it and they measure it together.

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As I mentioned, if you need a couple

chapters to convince your child that math

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is important to God, I think you could

camp here for a moment to make your case

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Tomorrow we'll dig in more and discuss

why these are contested chapters

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of scripture and why theologians

interpret them differently.

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But after meditating on God's miraculous

breath of life to resurrect even

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the dry bones, you and I have all

we need to continue in faithfulness

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today Heavenly Father, we praise

you for your unparalleled power over

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our physical and our spiritual state.

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We praise you that you are

the God who sanctifies,

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You don't just call us to

holiness, You equip and enable

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us through your Holy Spirit.

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We rejoice once again that you have

chosen to walk with us through life

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and that we have your presence to

look forward to for all of eternity.

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I pray for every mom feeling lonely

or unseen at home, that you would

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allow her to sense your presence and

your nearness today as she strives to

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be faithful where you've placed her.

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I pray your presence would give her

clarity about what's important, that

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it would enable her for consistency

in the things that are good but hard,

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and that you would help her to cast

off anything that would distract

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her from your call on her days.

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May she know how honored you are by

her faithfulness to her family I also

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want to breathe the life and hope into

situations that feel so dead and lifeless.

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I pray for unwavering faith

in your resurrection power,

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but also deep surrender to the

outcomes that you deem best.

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Help us to hold this hope and trust

simultaneously, and we thank you

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that your spirit goes with us as

we wrestle with that tension day

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in and day out Thank you, Jesus,

that you are our resurrected Lord.

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It's in your name that we pray.

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Amen.