I couldn't help but hear Lauren Daigle singing this during today's First Reading. It's from her song "Dry Bones."

"As we call out to dry bones come alive, come alive
We call out to dead hearts come alive, come alive
Up out of the ashes let us see an army rise
We call out to dry bones, come alive."

The imagery in the First Reading and the lyrics in this chorus are so powerful: Jesus brings life and light out of darkness and death, out of despair, out of hardness of heart. He calls us and He renews us.

I have felt far away from God in my sufferings in tough seasons in my life. At one point, the thoughts "why is this happening?" and "this hurts" occupied so much of my mind and prayer. Eventually, though, the greatest consolation came in the form of the living Word of God.

It started as I began going to daily Mass as often as I could and praying through the readings when I couldn't. Out of the darkness, Jesus' words spoke life to me and my experience. My circumstances didn't necessarily change, but He reminded me: "Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

I now realized that I've been in and out of seasons like that before and that Jesus' call to come alive is not a one-and-done thing.

We don't just show up to Him once and the rest is history. His call happens every day—He wants life for us every day. He wants the fullest life we can have here—found only through Him, with Him, and in Him—and, of course, life everlasting with Him.

[bctt tweet="He calls us and He renews us. // Annie Deddens " username="blessedisshe__"]

listen to today’s devotion

How is He asking you to come alive today? Which parts of your heart have been hardened and closed to Him? How can you let His breath and His Word breathe new life into you once again?