The Breath Of Life

The pain became so intense that it consumed all my thoughts. Then in the haze I heard the nurse say, “Breathe, you must breathe, your baby needs the oxygen.” Obediently I took a deep cleansing breath and it was time to push. Moments latter I heard the breath of life sounding in my newborn infant's cry.

I have been tracing this breath of life throughout the Scriptures. The first place it is mentioned is in the story of creation. “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) This idea of the breath of life is repeated in Job 33:4, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” The Hebrew word for breath is ruah. Ruah can be translated as breath, air, wind, spirit.

I am a very visual person and one of the most dramatic pictures I can think of in connection with the breath of God is in the valley of dry bones found in Ezekiel 37. The hand of God was upon Ezekiel and the Spirit of the Lord took him to a valley filled with very dry bones. God told him to prophesy to the bones and when he did the bones came together but they had no breath. Finally, God said “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, by the breath of God those who were dead became alive.

I see this picture of the breath of God in the New Testament as well. Jesus said in the third chapter of John, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear it's sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” The Greek word pneuma means, a current of air, breath, or breeze, by analogy it means a spirit. Jesus shows this again at the end of his time with his disciples when he says,”Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” and when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,”Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Oh Lord, with every breathe I take today remind me that you are the air I breath. Twice born I come to You. Breath of Heaven fill me with you holy presents today. As I breathe in may I inhale the deep cleansing breath of Your presence and may I exhale praise. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6)