Job 33:4, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
Close your eyes and take in a deep breath of fresh air. Often times we take this precious act for granted. We don’t even have to think about each breath we take. It is not until we stuggle to breathe that we begin to consider each inhale as a gift. How would we live differently if we had that kind of awareness in our faith?
Struggling to breathe is not comfortable, but it made me realize what is genuinely important in life. For the past week and a half, I have been battling a scary and painful fight with bronchitis. It is usually caused by breathing in irritants such as smoke or dust as well as being sick with the flu or a cold. Being sick made me feel very weak. Living without Jesus Christ at the center of my life was very similar.
I became unaware of all of the pollutants I let into my soul. Pride, envy, negativity, busy schedules, and anything else that takes my focus away from God blocks Him from breathing blessings into my spiritual lungs. I may forget to read my Bible for a few days. Maybe I didn’t take the time to be alone with the Lord in prayer this morning. They seem like small things, but they add up to create a separation between me and God. Soon those little things became infectious and took away my strength.
God is the Great Physician. When I could not breathe under the weight of my doubt, He covered me in His unconditional love and grace. I had lost my faith, but He helped me to set my focus back on Jesus Christ. I must let God remove what I let into my life that attemted to irritate my relationship with Him.
I have made it a goal for myself to live differently and be more aware of my faith. I want to feel God’s presence. I want to live every moment knowing God, experiencing His peace, and finding satisfaction in Him as if I were gasping for breath.
Psalm 150:6, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
