SICK OF BREATHING?

Genesis 2:4-8
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens-- 5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground-- 7 the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man He had formed.

Life. A word for the day-to-day activities we choose to do; a cereal we grew up eating because Mikey liked it. Then there's this common use of the word: "So, how's life treating you these days?"

Looking at these random reflections on l-i-f-e, I wonder, have we cheapened the value of the word itself? I remember wrestling with that very question. My friends and I had been discussing the music selections from a recent church service when someone said he was "sick of that 'Breathe' song." Whoa! Was he saying that he was tired of praising God for the very breath of life that allowed him to exist?

Not only did his comment shock me, but I wondered if I was the only person that questioned his statement. As I thought about it, I realized my friend was only expressing distaste for the repetitive way the song had been sung--not for the profound truth in the lyrics.

Genesis 2:7 details when God created the first human--breathing into him the gift of life. "The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." God has given us this same amazing gift. Every breath we take comes from the One who made us.

Many people deny the Source of their existence. We receive powerful, relentless messages from the world to think only of ourselves and to be our own god. You have the power to determine what life is about. You choose which path to take. If we buy into this thinking, we'll dismiss the reality of the true Life-giver.

Let's hold strong to what the Bible tells us life is all about--and where it comes from. Instead of creating our own definitions, we can reflect on the beauty of God giving us the breath of life. By that divine act we became "a living being" (v.7). This is the air I breathe. --Sonya Williams, Michigan

Written by a fellow Soul Journey reader

DESTINATION POINTS

* How do I reveal my awe at being given the gift of life by God?
* Why is life such a sacred thing?

bottom line: God breathed life into me.

soul journey