September 13, 2026

Rest Day |

This week moved from Ezekiel’s breathtaking visions of restoration into the opening chapters of Daniel. Ezekiel saw dry bones come alive, God’s glory return, living water flow from His presence, and a restored city given the name “The Lord Is There.” Daniel then showed what it looks like to live faithfully when your surroundings do not reflect the world God has promised.

Grace showed up in God’s presence. He was there in the valley of dry bones, there in the restored temple, there beside the river, and there in Babylon with young men who had been carried far from home. God’s people experienced radically different circumstances throughout these readings, but His presence remained the constant.

You also saw how clearly these passages point toward Jesus. He brings life where there was death, gives living water through the Holy Spirit, establishes a kingdom that will never end, and meets His people in the fire. The hope running through these chapters is not that God’s people will always avoid difficult places. It is that there is no place they can go where Jesus will not be with them.

As you rest today, think about the comparison between Ezekiel and Daniel. One received visions of what God would eventually restore. The others had to remain faithful while living in a world that was still very much broken. Most of our lives happen somewhere between those two realities…trusting what God has promised while faithfully living in what has not yet been restored.

Reflection Questions:

Where in your life are you currently living between what God has promised and what you can actually see?

What has your response to difficult circumstances revealed about where your deepest convictions really are?