This Is the Air I Breathe!

As many of you know or have experienced, this past week the air here in the Northeast (USA) has been terrible to breathe, with the air quality index at times reaching over 200 due to the wildfires in Canada and the smoke they sent our way. For a couple of days, many people (including myself) wore masks, kids had to stay inside during recess, and even the Yankee game in the Bronx was cancelled. Visibility went down to less than a quarter of a mile in many places.  At times the sky was an eerie orange with the sun turning almost red. I think it has been a reminder to us all of how important the air we breathe, and quality of that air, is to our well-being. 

Thankfully, as of the writing of this devotional blog, the air seems to have cleared up (at least where I am in this part of NJ). When I stepped outside this morning, I felt like I could breathe again. In fact, I even took a deep breath to test it out. I don’t think I’ve ever been so appreciative of fresh air! 

The Bible tells us, “…the LORD God formed a 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 – NIV) That is, our very breath first came from God himself. The Apostle Paul said, “(God) himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” (Acts 17:25)  We are ”living being(s)” because of the breath or spirit God has placed into us. (In the Bible, breath and spirit are the same word!) We are alive because he has given us our ability to breathe—because he has placed within us his Spirit. 

A popular worship song that we sing now and then in church says, “This is the air I breathe,” making reference to the presence of God (i.e., the Spirit of God) within our lives. The point is, just as we desperately need air to sustain our physical lives, so we need the presence of God to sustain our spiritual lives. Just as we die without physical air, so we spiritually die without God’s Spirit at work within us. 

Finally, I’m reminded today of the psalmist’s words: “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.” (Psalm 150:6) That is, if you have breath in you—i.e., if you are alive and breathing—you ought to give praise, worship, and thanks to the God from whom you have received your life and breath. As long as we are alive, we ought to be people of worship. 

So maybe today, take a deep breath and give thanks to God!  And as you do, why not ask him to breathe into you a fresh sense of his presence? 

Have a great day! 

- Pastor Tim Harris