DBS (Dry Bones Syndrome)

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” — Ezekiel 37:5 (NIV)

Have you ever suffered from DBS?  

Dry Bones Syndrome.  

It’s not a clinical diagnosis, but it’s real.  

It shows up when your spirit feels brittle, your prayers echo back empty, and your hope seems to have evaporated. You go through the motions, but something vital feels missing.  

Maybe it’s grief. Maybe it’s burnout. Maybe it’s the slow erosion of joy.  

You are not alone. I’ve had it. And I’ve seen it in others—faithful people who feel like they’re walking through a valley of spiritual desolation.  

In Ezekiel 37, the prophet is led by God into a valley filled with bones—dry, scattered, lifeless. It’s a haunting image, and it represents the people of Israel in exile, cut off from their land, their identity, and their hope.  

God asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?”  

Ezekiel doesn’t pretend to know. He simply says, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”  

Then God tells him to prophesy—to speak life into the bones. And as he does, the bones come together, are clothed with flesh. But they’re still not alive. Not until breath—ruach, Spirit—is breathed into them.  

This isn’t just a resurrection story. It’s a reanimation. A divine CPR. A reminder that God’s Spirit can reach even the driest places.  

DBS isn’t terminal! 

God’s breath is the cure.  

When we feel spiritually parched or emotionally depleted, God doesn’t wait for us to fix ourselves. God breathes into us. Through scripture, through community, through quiet moments of grace.

And this breath isn’t just for individuals—it’s for the whole body. The bones represent a people. Which means the healing is shared. The hope is communal. God reanimates our faith communities, bringing revival and new hope.  

And like Ezekiel, we’re called to speak life into the valleys around us. When we see someone suffering from Dry Bones Syndrome—disconnected, discouraged, despairing—we don’t turn away. We prophesy. We remind them of God’s goodness, God’s nearness, and God’s promise to restore.

Sometimes that means offering a word of encouragement.

Sometimes it means sitting in silence until breath returns.

Sometimes it means simply saying, “You are not forgotten.”

God’s Spirit moves through us—not just to revive us, but to reanimate the whole body.

If you’re feeling dry, brittle, worn thin—know this: God sees your valley. God speaks to your bones.  And God breathes life where you thought none could return.  

And if you see someone else in that valley, speak. Prophesy. Remind them: the breath is coming.

Spirit of God, breathe into our weary places.  Speak life into our silent valleys.  Where we feel numb, awaken us.  Where we feel lost, guide us.  Where we feel alone, remind us we belong.  Make us a people reanimated by your love, alive with your justice, and moving with your grace.  Amen.  

Peace & Grace,  

Pastor Tim