Of course, breathing is our most vital, natural function. We all like to breathe! As a youth I helped rescue two women from drowning in the Pacific Ocean and another from the Columbia River. It amazed me how fiercely they struggled when breathing became difficult and they thought they would drown. Years later while aboard a destroyer during World War II, I was cleaning the rust out of our boiler’s water jacket. I was much thinner in those days. I had crawled into this tight enclosure and was using an air powered brush to remove the particles of rust that had adhered to the tubes and walls. Accidentally the air hose separated from the brush and thrashed around whipping up clouds of red particles. There was no air. Just red dust. Instantly my breath became very precious to me. I spit up red dust for a week.
We were all breathed into life. Each of us take almost 2 million breaths a year, yet each of us is only a couple of breaths away from extinction. It is God breath in us that gives us life, spiritual, physical and it is God who sustains us. How wondrous!!!
The Greek word “pneuma” carries a profound range of meanings, including life, life-force, energy, dynamism and power. When “pneuma” is joined with “theo” it forms the word theopneustos.” The English word “inspiration” comes from this word. God’s breath or pneuma and his Spirit are the same. God didn’t just “breathe into” and then depart leaving the scripture and man to fend for themselves. His power continues to sustain and give vitality to his Word and to his people. God’s breath is working in all men whether they know it or not.
To ignore the Word is to ignore the Breath of God and to belittle life itself as having no value or purpose. Take a deep breath now and consider God in it.
By Gordon Kler