The Life-Giving Breath of God

To celebrate our two year anniversary, and to give me a creative break, Abundant Grace will be reprinting some classic blog devotions from year one for the next month. 

Our children, as well as everyone else’s children, have had their fair share of boo-boos while growing up.  After kissing away the hurt I would blow on the “seriously” injured spot.  It was like blowing away the pain.  Somehow, in my children’s minds, that breath of Daddy was a help.  The Breath of Abba still is.

Edwin Hatch is credited with writing only three hymns, but one of them is a timeless classic “Breathe on Me, Breath of God”. One of the names of the Holy Spirit is the Breath of God.  If Daddy’s breath could restore a hurt knee or elbow, how restorative is the Breath of God? 

Job said, “The Spirit of God hath made me and the Breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”  Job 33:4 (KJV) That is pretty powerful breath.  We see it earlier in the Scriptures in Genesis 2:7 where God breathed into man and he became a living soul.  Again in Ezekiel 37 we find God breathing into the dry bones of Israel and restoring life to the dead nation.  In the New Testament we find in II Timothy 3:16 that all scripture is inspired by God.  Literally that means that all scripture is breathed by God or the Breath of God.  That would be borne out by what Peter says in II Peter 1 where we find that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”  The Breath of God in the living Word of God then breathes new life into those who hear it.  Paul said in Romans 10 that “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” 

All I can do with my feeble breath is blow away the pain of a boo-boo.  What God can do is to transform the dead to life.  The Holy Spirit of God brings us to life in Christ and fills us with power for living for Him.  Hatch called for the Breath of God to give life, purity, obedience and eternal life.  Carry these lines in your heart today.  “Breathe on me, breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do. Breathe on me, breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with Thee I will one will, to do and to endure. Breathe on me, breath of God; blend all my soul with Thine, until this earthly part of me glows with Thy fire divine. Breathe on me, breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with Thee the perfect life of Thine eternity.”

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