All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

God didn’t stop breathing on His people once creation was complete. All of Scripture was breathed out by our God and is, therefore, also filled with life, inspiration, wisdom, and spirit. The author of Hebrews describes the Word of God as living, active and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12.)

Whether it’s a living being or the living Word, we see that the breath of God always brings life. In Psalm 119, a chapter entirely devoted to God’s Word, the psalmist connects Scripture with life fourteen times! God’s breath is in His Word and His Word brings life to those who breathe it in.

As God’s people, we are able to open His Word, breathe deeply of it, and have our spirits refreshed, repaired, and restored. The psalmist boldly asks God to give him life as is promised in Scripture (Psalm 119:154.) The word translated as life is the word chayah and it means so much more than existing. It means to revive, nourish, preserve, recover, restore, to be made whole, etc.

Do you ever get tired of just existing? Of just going through the motions? Open your Bible and inhale because those pages are filled with the breath of God. According to Psalm 119, meditating on Scripture brings protection (verse 11), delight (verse 14), understanding (verse 27), strength (verse 28), hope (verse 43), comfort (verse 50), obedience (verse 60), good judgement (verse 66), and LIFE (verses 17, 25, 40, 50, 77, 88, 93, 116, 144, 149, 154, 156, 159, and 175.)

You don’t have to go through your days just trying to get by. Call on God; He will, not simply answer, but will breathe life anew into your spirit.

Inhale (Meditation): Give me a hunger for Your Word, Lord. May it satisfy me more than the richest of foods (Psalm 63:5.)

Exhale (Application): Just like the Snickers commercial (You’re not yourself when you’re hungry,) I am not myself when I neglect God’s Word. Do my actions and attitudes show that I have dined on the Word today?

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Day 1: God Breath

Day 2: Choose Life

Day 3: When You Need a Miracle

Day 4: A Breath The Renews

At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap. Exodus 15:8 ESV

We all know what it’s like to feel as if there are no really good options. Perhaps, in Moses’ day, they would have said, “It’s like being trapped between the Egyptian army (a rock) and the Red Sea (a hard place.)”

Imagine, for a moment, what the children of Israel must have been feeling. In front of them lies the sea and behind them an angry army approaches. Some felt fear, others began to panic, and many surely felt that this was the end. Perhaps, somewhere in the crowd, a voice mutters, “It would take a miracle to save us now.”

You’ve been there. I’ve been there.

It would take a miracle to heal this marriage.

It would take a miracle to beat this disease.

It would take a miracle to be financially stable again.

It would take a miracle to conquer this addiction.

It would take a miracle for my loved one to be saved.

How many times have we made such a statement as if we were defeated and the situation was hopeless? Like we didn’t have a miracle working God on our side?

Do you know what it took for God to save the children of Israel? How He was able to handle the seemingly impossible task at hand? He breathed. That’s all. At the blast of His nostrils, the Red Sea stood up and got out of the way.

Whatever you need today: to forgive someone, to be forgiven, to let go of something, to begin again, to love God more, to take one more step. Whatever miracle you are waiting for – all you need is for God to breathe.

Inhale (Meditation): We need you to breathe, God. Breathe on all of our broken places, our fractured relationships, and our desperate situations.

Exhale (Application):  Let’s learn to pray before we panic. What the world calls broken is just another opportunity for God to breathe.

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Day 1: God Breath

Day 2: Choose Life

Choose life that you and your offspring may live. Deuteronomy 30:19 ESV

We try to make life very difficult and, often, we’re successful. We ponder our paths and ask ourselves deep philosophical questions.

What is the meaning of it all? What mark am I supposed to leave on the world? Why can I remember every lyric to every Garth Brooks song ever but can’t seem to recall why I walked upstairs?

After spending a decade or four wandering through the wilderness, God’s people were on the verge of the promised land. Moses gives the people a word on how to thrive in the land they are about to enter.

Choose life.

It’s as simple as that. Moses assures them that there wasn’t, in fact, anything complicated or difficult about it (Deuteronomy 30:11.)

You and I have the same two options as the children of Israel. We can choose to love, obey and cling to God and have life or we can pursue false gods and have death (Deuteronomy 30:16-18.) In every season and situation, the options are the same. Will we choose life or death?

Chasing false gods always leads to death because idols can never offer us God breath. That should be the determining factor in every decision we make. We don’t need to ask if something will bring us pleasure or pain? We don’t have to concern ourselves with whether a path will lead to happiness or hardship. It doesn’t matter if our choice will make us popular or make us a target.

The question is always the same. Is there God breath in this?

This is the only thing that will bring life to us and to our offspring.

Inhale (Meditation): Reveal any hidden idols in my life, Lord. Those things that promise blessings but become burdens. Those things that offer stale air instead of the refreshing breath of Your spirit.

Exhale (Application): Help me, Lord, to be intentional with my time, energy and resources. May I seek relationships and areas of service that bring life to those around me. Make me a source of God breath to others.

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Did you miss Day 1? No problem! It’s right here.

 

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:7 ESV

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I here? What is my purpose? Do I even have a purpose?” God has never wondered these things about you.

There was a moment after the skies were filled with stars and the waters were full of swimming things when all of creation paused. Dust filled the Creator’s hands as He fashioned His finest masterpiece. All of heaven watched in anticipation as every detail was put into place.

Perhaps, God momentarily stepped back to admire this final element of creation. What a moment it must have been when the Creator stared into the eyes of the man created in His own image. Much like He had hovered over the face of the waters only days before, God now hovered over the face of the fearfully and wonderfully made man. As a hush fell over the heavens, God drew near to man and breathed the very breath of God into him. There, at that moment, is when man truly lived.

You and I are walking around with God breath in our lungs. The Hebrew word is neshamah. It includes the breath that is essential for human life but, also, encompasses so much more. When God breathes He imparts inspiration, intellect, soul, and spirit. We were created to do more than exist. We were fashioned for far more than mere survival. We were divinely designed with a holy purpose.

We have God breath within us.

Inhale (Meditation): It’s almost more than our human minds can comprehend. But, just for a moment, let’s ponder the preciousness of a God who breathes into His people.

Exhale (Application): Let’s not waste a single God breath on gossip, anger, bitterness, or jealousy (Ephesians 4:29.) Instead, may we strive to make every breath count for the betterment of His kingdom.

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