The Breath of God

The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. – Genesis 1:2 NASB
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. – Genesis 2:7 NASB

We have all seen people receive artificial respiration. They lie dying as the seconds tick away. Those helping them work frantically. There is a sense of desperation because if oxygen doesn’t start getting to the brain soon, that person - not just the body but the mind, the personality, the spirit of that human - will be gone forever. When watching TV shows, we get the impression that these attempts to revive are nearly universally successful but the truth of the matter is that as often as not, the attempt to restart the heart, or the breathing, ends in failure.

How like human attempts. We strive mightily but without much affect; so much effort for so little return. Whenever we do things in our own strength and in our own way, we can rest assured that God has a much better way.

In Hebrew, the “Spirit of God” is literally “the breath of God”. Earth was without form and void and covered by darkness until God breathed upon it.

In Genesis 2:7, Elohim again breathed upon a lump of clay and thus made man a living soul. God’s very essence is life. We see this in John chapter 1 where it says “In Him (Christ) was life, and the life was the Light of men.” Jesus also said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).

Our lives without Christ are without form and void. Our daily activities are covered in the dark knowledge that death lies ahead. Everything we do will pass away and very soon our very existence will be forgotten. We are lumps of clay, inanimate doorstops; shapeless until worked upon by the Master Potter. Then the eyes brighten, the heart beats, the chest heaves its first breath of air and we become something wonderful.

Your life may seem useless right now. There may seem to be no meaning, purpose or goal. You may be “living a life of quiet desperation.” Come to Christ – the source of all life. You cannot separate yourself from the source of life and expect anything but death. John 1:5 tells us that when the light of Christ shone in the dark world, the dark world did not understand it. But that’s all right. You don’t have to understand why He loves you. You don’t have to grasp the fullness of His nature. All you have to do is trust Him. Put your life in His hands. Let the breath of God flow into your spirit. Then get ready to really live.