Oct-1 – BREATH!

“And the Lord God…breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).

The breath which God breathed into the man’s nostrils created breath into him. It also brought life into him. He became one with spirit and life. Have you ever given a thought about your breath? Have you ever meditated about this wonderful act of God? 

I read in a book that normally a man breathes one thousand and fifty times in an hour. He breathes more than 25000 times in a day. Before attaining the age of 42, he inhales and exhales around four thousand lakhs of times. Thus, the mechanism keeps running throughout the day and night.

 Whether you think of it or not, whether you stand or sleep, the breathing process keeps happening continuously. It runs on its own. God has created it in such a way that it runs day and night without any of your efforts. What a wonderful God, our God is! Yes. It is He who gives life, breath and all things to all (Acts 17:25).

Look at the lungs which run the breathing process in a non-stopping manner. It removes carbon-di-oxide from the blood and brings in oxygen. How important is oxygen for our life! If a man is deprived of oxygen continuously for ten minutes, will he not die? Yes. That breath is in His hands. You are bound to thank God for every breath you make in a day.

Once, an aged woman was in her death bed. The pastor who realised that she is nearing the end stood by her side and asked her what portion of the Scripture she would like to listen. Her choice was Psalm 150:6 and it says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Yes. God has protected her right from birth to the last breath and how could she enter eternity without thanking God for that?

The eternity is nothing but the beginning of the breath coming to an end. When the inhaled breath fails to come out, the man enters eternity. However big the man may be, he is nothing when breath takes leave from his nostrils. That is why the Scripture says, “Sever yourselves from such a man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?” (Isaiah 2:22).

Dear children of God, praise God realising that every breath you have in your nostrils is His gift. May you place your faith on Him alone!  

To meditate: “As long as my breath is in me and the breath of God in my nostrils my lips will not speak wickedness nor my tongue utter deceit” (Job 27:3,4).