A Christian sometimes needs to breathe. Unfortunately, some people genuinely struggle with breathing. The act of breathing is truly miraculous. We have been breathing since the moment we left our mother’s womb and filled our lungs to let out that first cry. Paul claimed that “God breathes out all Scriptures” (2 Timothy 3:16).
The biblical metaphor of breathing is quite profound. The Bible frequently refers to God’s breath in the New and Old Testaments. The breath of God sustains and uplifts us throughout these trying times. Therefore, recognizing where God moves in our lives is made easier by understanding the breath of God.
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What Do We Know About The Breath Of God?
The Bible defines breath as more than just the physical movement of air in and out of the lungs. In the Greek of the New Testament and the Hebrew of the Old Testament, breath is linked with the Spirit of God[1], and it is one of the most meaningful symbols in the Bible.
When the Bible writes about breathing into our lungs or the breath that gives us life leaving and coming back to God, it is not just being poetic about air; the Holy Spirit is that biblical breath flowing within us.
God Breathed And Gave New Life
The Holy Spirit is a phenomenon outside of the New Testament. God made the earth and created man and woman in His image with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord God formed a people through the power of the Spirit, and through the power of the Spirit, He anointed particular persons to accomplish His salvation purposes.
We will witness the Spirit at work in the New Testament in a much more intimate setting—in the womb of a young Jewish girl named Mary. There are still numerous effective and delightful methods that we can search for signs of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
God’s Word Can Inspire Us
God’s breath inspired the words of Scripture, and it is God’s breath that enables us to receive and comprehend the texts. The Bible is a living, breathing source. The same breath that motivated the production of the Bible also motivates us to hear it. The breath of God is present in the Bible when we read it. The breath of God blesses our hearing and reception of the holy word. God speaks truth into our lives through the Bible.
What Does The Breath Of God Bring Us?
Every day of our existence, we have been breathing, and every breath represents God’s Spirit’s presence in us. God’s Spirit has been working through us even if we are unaware of it. The best part is that this mighty Spirit touches our lives in ways we might never fully comprehend or appreciate, even when unaware.
The Breath That Gives Life And Human Will
The next time God’s breath is depicted in Genesis, it is during the beginning, when God created human beings so that they could start living. The force of God’s breath within us is directly responsible for our bodily life and fruitfulness. As we allow the Spirit to enter our hearts each day, He longs to give us new life, just as He gave our bodies life when He created us.
The Holy Spirit Within Us
Since the Holy Spirit is the result of God’s breath, it implies that the Holy Spirit is part of who we are. Given that He is a permanent inhabitant, the Holy Spirit will never depart. Even though we may feel alone, the Holy Spirit is constantly and forever within us; thus, we are never truly alone. Our hearts are now permanently occupied by the breath of God.
The Significance Of The Breath Of God
According to the Bible, the same breath returns to God at the moment of death. The existence of breath is not only equated with biological life but that Christian life, which is also unmistakably assigned to the Author of life, our sovereign creator, God. This is similar to how we are born.
In other words, since the fall of man, the world has been in chaos. Nevertheless, because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all of God’s people were restored as His children once more through faith in Him and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
God’s Breath Provides Different Points Of View
We may appreciate how insignificant and fleeting our lives are compared to the Almighty God since we have received His breath as the source of our life. Additionally, much like when we breathe, God is still present even when we cannot focus on Him or His presence.
10 Powerful Bible Verses About The Breath Of God
When He, the spirit of truth, does arrive, He will lead you into all the truth because He will not talk on His initiative but rather whatever He hears, and He will reveal to you what will come. He will exalt Me because He will remove from Mine and reveal it to you. I said He takes from Mine and will reveal it to you because whatever the Father has is Mine.
— John 16:13–15
Knowing, brethren, that you are God’s chosen people, for our message did not come to you merely in word, but also in life-giving power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction. Just for your own information, the type of men we demonstrated to be among you for your benefit.
— 1 Thessalonians 1:4–5
Jesus replied, “With all honesty, I say to you, a person cannot enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of the water and the spirit. The body is what is born of the flesh, and the spirit is what is born of the spirit. Do not be shocked that I told you that you needed to be born again.”
— John 3:5–8
They become frightened, though, if you turn away from them. When you rob someone of their breath, they pass away or die and return to dust. The earth’s surface is renewed, and life is produced when you breathe into them.
— Psalm 104:29–30
The Sovereign Lord declares to them, “These bones will receive breath, and you will come to life. I will give you tendons, flesh, and skin to cover you, and I will give you breath so that you will come to life. Then you will realize I am the Lord.
— Ezekiel 37:5–6
The Lord of heaven and earth, who created the world and everything in it, does not reside in temples fashioned by human hands. As if He required anything, our hands do not serve Him. Instead, He Himself is the source of everyone’s life, breath, and all other things.
— Acts 17:24–25
The heavens were shaped and expanded by God. He made the earth and everything on it. Everyone on earth receives life and breath from Him. He further claims, “I, the Lord, have called you to show forth my righteousness. I will take you by the hand, keep you safe, and present you to Israel, my people. And the countries will look to you as a light.”
— Isaiah 42:5
Because the Lord has chosen me to bring good news to the suffering, I am filled by the Spirit of the Lord God. He has sent me to comfort the grieving, proclaim freedom to the captives, and free the captives.
— Isaiah 61:1
This will be followed by Me pouring out My Spirit on all humanity, at which point your children will prophesy. Both your young and your old men will experience dreams and visions. In those days, I will pour forth My Spirit on both the male and female servants.
— Joel 2:28–29
But He will render a just verdict for the world’s suffering people and judge the downtrodden with justice. And He will use the rod of His mouth to smite the earth, and the breath of His lips will kill the wicked.
— Isaiah 11:4
Conclusion
Unless we are close to someone, we cannot feel their breath. To feel someone’s breath is a real sensation of intimacy, similar to when we lean in to hear a friend whisper in a crowded room. Perhaps this is what is required to experience God’s breath upon our lives and work—a deepening desire and attitude of connection with God.
There are numerous effective and delightful methods that we can search for signs of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us allow the breath that emanates from the One who gave us life to fill our lungs. Every breath we take is worthwhile.