Breathing

John 20:21-22 “He spoke to them again, and said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ then he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you refuse to forgive them, they are unforgiven.” NLT

Acts 2:2 “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” NLT

Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” NLT

I’ve always had a tendency to hold my breath. Whether I’m waiting on something exciting to happen or I’m moving heavy furniture, for some unknown reason, It’s a natural instinct for me to hold my breath. But anyone who exercises regularly knows the importance of breathing deeply.

When I first started cycling, I realized quickly that if I simply focused on my breathing that I would be rejuvenated and energized. When I start to feel fatigued while running and lifting weights, if I remember to even out my breathing, I can keep going. It’s always amazing to me how much more physical activity I can perform if I’m simply focused on breathing. I can do things better, longer, and perform at a deeper level when my oxygen level is just right.

When God formed Adam, the Scripture says he took the dust of the ground and formed man with His very own hand. And then, God breathed into Adam the breath of life. I’ve always had sort of a CPR position pictured in my head, but nevertheless, it is only then that Adam comes to life. It is only when God’s air, His very breath runs through Adam that he begins to live. 

In pretty much every single instance in Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments, every time the word breath or Spirit is used, we can trace them back to the same Greek and Hebrew original words. It’s as if the word “breath” and “Spirit” are interchangeable. Think about the instances of the Holy Spirit coming in John 20 and Acts 2. In John 20, we read that He breathed on them the Holy Spirit, and then in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came like a mighty rushing wind. 

Our very lives come from God. We know this in the physical sense, and also in the spiritual sense, but have you stopped to consider that the very air we breathe is spiritual in nature? What this means for us is that our physical breath is but a symbol of our real lives in Christ. Every time we breathe in, and breathe out, we should be reminded of the Holy Spirit’s work in and through us. He’s here.

I never really started living until I met Jesus. It’s a well known fact that the human body can only go around 40 days without food, 3-4 days without water, but only 3-4 minutes without breathing. Why do you think God designed us that way? It is but a reminder that we cannot go through life without God working through us.

The other fact I want to point out is that only when the disciples received the Holy Spirit did their ministries really take off. Jesus tells them in John 20 that they are being sent out to preach the Gospel, and then in Acts 2, the same is true. When they begin to minister by the Holy Spirit, they can do more for the Kingdom of God than they ever thought possible. Thousands were saved, and we are here too because of their obedience and commitment to serve Him.

When we are filled with and led by the Spirit, we are empowered to serve Him in a supernatural way. He can work through us to accomplish His mission, works that are greater than we could ever dream of.

In our physical sense, when just simply breathe, we can go further and be stronger than we ever thought possible. God is up to something; we must simply breathe.

What’s God trying to do in and through your life? In what ways can you allow Him to work through you? Take a deep breath and listen to what He has to say to you today.

Encouragement for Today

Acts 2:41 “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day--about 3000 in all.” NLT

Job 34:14-15 “If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust.” NLT

Timing is Everything

2 Corinthians 6:2 “For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.” NLT

Every year on New Year’s Day, millions of people make New Year’s Resolutions. Without a doubt and without much debate, the #1 resolution made...I’m sure you can guess it...is to lose weight. I’m also positive that if you’re reading this, either you or someone close to you has also made that same resolution. We all know that as God’s creation, our health is important to Him, yet sometimes it’s a difficult aspect of our lives to consistently maintain.

“Tomorrow, I’ll start,” I’ve heard people say. “After the first of the year, I’m going to lose weight,” others have said. And still others I’ve heard say, “On Monday, I’m starting my diet.” When I’ve talked with others who are on a weight-loss journey already, they feel horrible when they stray off of their plan. They may have caved to temptation and then feel as though all hope is lost, at least for the rest of the day. I’ve thought all of those same things too. When I “fall off the wagon,” I feel like I can then just keep failing for the rest of the day because, well, the day is spoiled! “I’ll start again tomorrow,” I’ve thought. It’s those thoughts though that led me to obesity and prevented me from living a healthy lifestyle for 32 years. Putting off until tomorrow what I should’ve been doing today kept me from ever fully realizing the healthy lifestyle that God had designed for me. Tomorrow came late. I’m thankful that the “tomorrow” or “Monday morning” I so often mentioned finally did come, but it came so much later than it should have!

In this second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul discusses the ministry of reconciliation that we have in pointing others to Jesus. He has given us a task, but for some reason, we often ignore this wonderful calling of God. For some reason, we often neglect telling others what God has done in our hearts. But Paul states very plainly, “Indeed, the right time is now. Today is the day of salvation.” There’s no need to delay accepting Him as Lord of your life or telling others about Him. Delaying in witnessing the cleansing work of God is cheating others out of eternal life. What precious time we waste when we procrastinate in telling others about Him. We are not promised tomorrow. One woman who shaped my Christian mind as a child used to pray, “Lord help us to remember that today is the day of salvation; tomorrow may never come.” Hearing that prayer set in my heart an urgency to see others saved.

Like our spiritual lives, our physical lives are nothing with which to play around. There’s no need to delay. First of all, we need to remember that wasting precious time that we should be spending living healthy lives is simply cheating ourselves of what God wants to do. He desires to give us so much more energy and good health so that we may serve Him longer. Secondly, even when we are sincerely trying to live in a healthful way, there will be times of failure and temptation. But when those things do occur, we need not feel like the entire day is wasted. We can get back up and keep going. Why make a bad situation worse by piling on more guilt and more things to simply drag us down? We must remember that imperfect progress is better than zero progress. Even though the path we’ve mapped out may look different than the one we’re walking, doesn’t mean that we’ve eternally failed. 

Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may never come.

What will you do today? How will you handle possible failures and setbacks? The entire day is not wasted. There’s no time like today!

Encouragement for Today

Ephesians 5:15-17 “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” NLT

Proverbs 27:1 “Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.” NLT