From the Valley of Death to a Superbloom

This past weekend, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that Death Valley in California, known as the driest place on Earth and home to the hottest air temperature, is experiencing superbloom conditions for the first time since 2016!

For those not familiar with this, a superbloom is a phenomenon observed in extremely dry, hot deserts, where flowers and other plants suddenly bloom where they typically don't under such harsh conditions. Superblooms are so transformative that they can even be observed from space.

When flowers bloom in areas near the desert, their seeds blow across the desert floor. Still, because the conditions are not right, these seeds fall on dry, barren ground. They get lost in cracks and crevices, sometimes lying there for years. They appear lifeless, dried out, and unable to show the beauty they were made for.

But these seeds aren’t dead. They’re dormant. They aren’t lifeless; they’re just asleep until something changes. Something agitates the ground or shifts in the earthly realm. An overabundance of rainfall the season before, optimal timing and temperatures, and a balanced ecosystem create perfect conditions. Then comes a harvest of beautiful flowers in gorgeous colors, lining the desert floor.

A floor that was just barren with no color or beauty. A floor that had cracks and crevices so deep and long, due to the extreme heat and dryness of the area, extending for miles, that one would think life and beauty couldn’t grow there.

Death Valley, which has been “dead” for so many years, has now, overnight, produced wonders that shock anyone who sees them, leaving them in disbelief at what took place and scratching their heads at how this could have happened. And yet at the same time, something inside us stirs with joy and excitement as we see death come to life.

Superblooms are a great illustration of what God does with the story of our lives, marriages, prodigal children, family, business, church, health, etc. It’s the areas of our lives that feel dead, lost, and without hope. It’s the parts of our lives that God wants to intervene, meet us, and do something miraculous. It’s where he wants to bring life, restoration, turnarounds, prosperity, healing, growth, breakthroughs, and miracles!

I believe what is going on in Death Valley right now is a prophetic symbol of what God wants to do in our lives this year. There’s been an agitation, a shift taking place in the spiritual realm these past few years. My husband and I have felt, seen, and heard what the Lord is doing. We have seen God weeding out and exposing sin that has been choking the seeds of life in marriages, homes, the body of Christ, and around the world. Shaking and stirring have been taking place, bringing about repentance and a return to Christ.

At times, it has been heartbreaking, confusing, and crushing, raising questions about whether anything good and fruitful could come from the exposed sin or other hard seasons of life. For some of us, it has felt like we are walking in a dry, cracked, and parched desert of our own. But just as Death Valley is experiencing the phenomenon of superbloom conditions, you need to know that God wants and is doing His own superblooms in each of our lives!

As I reflected on this, it reminded me of the story of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37, which is a powerful representation of what God wants to do with us. The areas in our lives that seem lifeless and beyond restoration are like the dry bones God commanded Ezekiel to tell to come to life.

It’s no coincidence that when you read Ezekiel 37, you read that God placed him in a valley filled with dead bones. It literally was “Death Valley”! Verses 1-3 say:

“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”

It appeared that there was no life in these bones, but look what God commanded (not suggested) Ezekiel to do in Verses 4-6.

“Then he said to me, 'Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

God didn’t suggest or ask Ezekiel to speak life to the bones; he commanded him, and he’s commanding us to do the same, to speak to these “dead” places in our lives, marriage, children, health, church, and business to come to life!

There’s been agitation, an alignment of God’s plan and purpose, and a shift in the spiritual realm, making conditions just right for the “superbloom”, anointing, and rapid flow of authoritative power in our lives, the church, and the body of Christ that God wants to bring forth.

Look at what happened when Ezekiel obeyed the commands of the Lord and spoke to the bones in Verses 7-8.

“So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.”

There was noise, rattling, movement, and things starting to come together, but there was still no breath, nor abundance of life in them yet. This is what happens to us. We speak, we declare and decree, we press through, praying and believing, and although we see a little change, it’s not the full breakthrough we desire. And that’s where the enemy comes in, bringing doubt and unbelief. Time is going by, and we begin to question, is this God’s will? Do miracles still take place today? Does he have a plan for my life? Will this season ever end? This may be where we want to give up, throw in the towel, and make an ungodly justification as to why something isn’t happening. Listen, I’ve been here. It’s a hard place to be. But look at what God commands Ezekiel to do when Ezekiel realizes the bones have no breath in Verses 9-10.

“Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”

God said, “DON’T GIVE UP!” Prophesy and command the breath to enter, and watch and see what I do! God’s “superbloom” in your life is coming and in more ways and more power than you can imagine! So don’t give up! As hard and exhausting as it is sometimes, push through.

If you need help because it’s too much, seek the help, but don’t give up on your marriage or spouse, your lost child, your health, finances, business, the body of Christ, and the power and authority that the Lord wants you to operate in.

Rebuke the fear, the doubt, and unbelief, and continue to declare God’s breath into the dry places in your life, the body of Christ, and around the world! Because God isn’t just bringing bones to life, he’s bringing life to an army!

It's time for that valley of death to have its superbloom! It’s time for the church to awaken and walk in power and authority. It’s time for marriages to step into the calling God has for them and their families, furthering his kingdom. It’s time for bodies to be healed so God’s voice of truth can be projected through them to the lost. It’s time for the blinders to come off, lost children, so they know their true identity in Christ. The Lord God Almighty goes before them, helping them walk out their purpose in building God’s kingdom. It’s time for husbands and fathers to step up to Godly leadership in their homes. It’s time to take back what the enemy has stolen. It's time to command the dry bones to come alive. And it’s time to see the superblooms in the valley of death appear!

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the way you’re working in my life, aligning what's needed so that your power and divine favor can create and produce the miracle, healing, provision, breakthrough, and restoration I’ve been longing and declaring. God, forgive me when I’ve grown impatient in the waiting or when I’ve wanted and even tossed in the towel, giving up on the “superbloom” you desired for me. I stand before you now and speak to the valley of death and dry bones in my life to come alive, awaken, and be made new! I speak your breath to come in like a mighty wind and bring life to the dry bones that have come together. I believe in you, Father, and your creative power, and I choose to walk by faith and not by sight. I pray all these things in the name of Jesus and by the power of his blood. Amen.

Julie