You Need to Breathe

You need air, right? We've been breathing air since before we knew that air was actually 'real' instead of just a clear essence. Air also has power when it's moving, like when the wind catches the sails on even a huge ship and moves it along. God knew this, and the power
of air -- in the Bible, called breath, wind or spirit -- is used a lot to show the mysterious, but immense, force of God's will. Those two ideas -- vital need, and power -- are both used in the description of God's creation, and re-creation, of humans, and they reveal God's love and care for you and me. Let's find out how.

In the Creation account in Genesis, the Lord "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." This was a picture of holy CPR -- God kneeling by the side of this man formed out of dust, hovering over the man and breathing air into his lungs for his first taste of life (as Adam woke, did he smell and taste the sweetness of God's breath?). Breath became a symbol of life itself, for as a person stops breathing, so does life.

Much later, Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” That was a way of telling Nicodemus that the Spirit's operations are much, much different than we can understand; powerful, unpredictable, invisible except for the effect, but no less real. Someone who is 'born of the Spirit' has that power acting on him or her, the power of the love of God, and the results can be astonishing. In fact, they should be!

After he was raised from his death on the cross, but before he ascended into heaven, Jesus blew on his disciples and said "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20). That reminds me of the Creator God blowing the breath of life into Adam. This time was to let them know that a holy wind was to come upon them soon and give them a whole new life -- but still a life powered by the wind of God. Sure enough, soon they gathered in an upper room to worship, and a fresh breath from God, with the sound of a mighty wind like a tornado, swept into them. They were so changed by that power that they were fearless, and overcame every obstacle!

The Holy Wind has power for you also. Not just to 'understand truth' or interpret scripture; or to know secret things or speak in tongues -- those are some of the 'ecstatic gifts' as we call them -- but to operate in the fearless love of God himself (read 1 John 4:7-21). John writes here that to be born of God (see John 3:5-8 again) means to love. And that love has the power to change everything -- about you, about me, and about the whole world. Submit to that power of God, fully and humbly, and you'll see!