The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job 33:4
Catching Your Spiritual Breath
Daily Devotion – June 14, 2018
Devotion based on Job 33:4
See series: Devotions
Did you ever get the wind knocked out of you? Whether as the result of playing a contact sport or just slipping on some ice and landing on your back, it can be a most anxious feeling. For a few moments you lie there, unable to breathe. Your lungs have been emptied by the jolt, and with your diaphragm temporarily paralyzed, you aren’t able to take in any air. When oxygen is in short supply, panic may set in. Fortunately, it usually isn’t long before your respiratory system begins working again the way it’s supposed to.
God created us in such a way that breathing in and out sustains our life. The Bible specifically records the moment the first human took his first breath. “Then 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” (Genesis 2:7).
More than just filling Adam’s lungs with air, God gave him the gift of spiritual life. In the original languages of the Bible, the words for spirit can also be translated as wind or air. What a beautiful reminder that just as the wind is all around us and yet invisible, so is the Holy Spirit of God. Just as the air we breathe keeps our bodies alive, so the Holy Spirit creates and strengthens spiritual life in us. The Spirit does this through the Word of God which he inspired (breathed into) the prophets and apostles to write about God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we can get the spiritual wind knocked out of us. Temptations and troubles, disasters and doubts, can leave us spiritually breathless. When Satan scores a blow to our spiritual breathing, it can unbalance our faith and cause us to become paralyzed with fear. In those moments, ask the Holy Spirit to help you catch your spiritual breath again. Don’t panic but listen as the Spirit points you to your Savior, Jesus who breathed his last on the cross, so that you might live forever with him.
Prayer:
Lord God, you created me through the power of the Holy Spirit. When I become winded in this weary world, send your Holy Spirit to breathe new life into me through the good news of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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