What a sight met our eyes! The whole wide shoreline of the Salton Sea in southern California was littered with dead, dried-up fish! My husband and I had stopped there because it was a good habitat for migratory birds, but this was a view that we did not anticipate on the way to the bird sanctuary, nor did we expect the unpleasant smell.

It was hard to believe that this lake, the largest in California, was once the site of a flourishing resort area, a beautiful oasis in an arid land. The rich and famous lived there in the 1950s and 60s. The lake had been created in 1905 when spring floods broke through irrigation canals from the Colorado River. Water flowed into a low depression in the desert, 72 metres (236 feet) below sea level. Over the years, excess irrigation water flowing into the lake prevented it from drying up. As there was no outlet, the water either seeped into the ground or evaporated, causing high salinity. Eventually, over the years, agricultural waste contaminated the lake further, and as Colorado water was redirected to cities, water levels went down even lower. Most fish cannot survive, and only tilapia and another small variety remain.

The sight of the dead, dried-up fish reminded me of Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones.

Ezekiel 37:7b-8 – There was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. (NLT)

Then God commanded Ezekiel to call up breath from the four winds to breathe life into the skeletons. "They all came to life and stood up on their feet — a great army." (Ezekiel 37:10b NLT)

The vast valley filled with dry bones represented the nation of Israel who had been scattered into captivity and who were spiritually dead. Have we not felt that way ourselves from time to time? Years ago, before I established the habit of daily Bible reading, I would feel spiritually dry and malnourished after a summer, and ready to get back into Christian fellowship and activities that would keep me on track in my faith. I no longer feel summer dryness, but there are definitely days when I do feel dry and lifeless.

We have to remember that the God Who first breathed life into Adam — who was formed from the dust of the ground — is still able to breathe life into us through His Holy Spirit. In the words of an old hymn by Edwin Hatch, let us ask Him to do that:

Prayer:

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

Amen.

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About the author:

Alice Burnett <terrencera.burnett@gmail.com>
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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