“We all must slow down and take a breath. We must regain the ability to hear that small still voice that G-D speaks to us with. The first step to achieving that breath is the Shabbat.
What Is It to Breathe God’s Breath
As a follow-on to our article on the Sabbath, I’d like to discuss breathing in G-d’s Breath, His Spirit (G-d is spelled with the vowel left out to prevent His Name from being destroyed).
Breath in Hebrew is Ruach and its meaning is much more than to simply breathe in and out, something we take for granted. It also means G-d’s Breath or Spirit. The Holy Breath or Ruach HaKodesh is the part of G-d that connects us to Him, much like a spiritual umbilical cord. In the same way that the baby in the womb cannot live without the umbilical cord that attaches him or her to its mother, we, too, cannot live in G-d without that Holy Breath inside of us.
G-d’s Breath is what elevates us above the animals and makes us to be created in His image. Without that Breath we would suffocate, our Spiritual lives would be cut off, just as if someone were choking us. When Adam & Havah (Adam & Eve) walked in the Garden, they Breathed in the Spirit of G-d and walked with Him in the coolness of the day. If we want to walk with Him, His Breath must be in us. Today there is a seeming obsession with zombies in films and pop culture. While zombie’s should hold no fascination for those walking with G-d, we all know persons who claim to know G-d but are walking like the living dead. Why is there no life in their walk? They are not breathing the Breath of G-d in their lives and not allowing His Breath to fill them.
How Do We Suffocate God’s Breath?
Physiologically, when we breathe, approximately the first ½ liter of air inhaled is significantly depleted of oxygen, as it is the residual air left from exhaling in our lungs and trachea (tidal volume). So when we breathe in we need to take full slow breaths to exhale as much carbon dioxide as possible and inhale as much oxygen as possible. Try a little experiment: Take 10-12 slow shallow breaths. If you feel light-headed it is because you are improperly breathing. Now take 4-5 slow deep breaths, feel the difference?
G-d’s Breath is like that. Walking with Him requires deep inhalation of His Life-Giving Breath, lett
ing it flow throughout our being and life. When we rush around, not heeding His voice and not breathing deeply His Breath, we begin to grow faint. We are suffocating ourselves from G-d’s Life-Giving Breath. When we struggle in our strength, not relying on Him, it is like we are not breathing. We faint, burn-out, and get stressed to the point of physical illness. If we learn to work in His power, filled with His Breath scripture says “we will be carried on eagle’s wings.” A real life case in point: We have just completed our Passover/Resurrection services. From Friday at 10 am to Sunday at 10 pm we had over 30 hours of services and preparation. Physically and mentally we could never have done that without being stressed and burned out; but through His Breath and Power we were able to continue in Peace and Joy.
G-d wants us to have life abundantly now. Not as some teach with riches that perish but with His life in us. Too many people focus on the here-after, like that old hymn Beulah Land. The here-after is our promise, but the promise is meant to be much more. The Promise is to be changed into Messiah’s image, “To walk like the Messiah, to talk like the Messiah, to do the works of the Messiah”. We need to be aware of G-d’s Breath in us and His presence surrounding us.
Other Factors that can Smother Us
Other factors can choke out G-d’s Breath in us, namely sin. Sin in our lives is like a clamp on our umbilical cord to G-d, or like covering our faces with a pillow so we cannot breathe. In both cases the life-sustaining blood or breath cannot flow. We do the same thing when we sin and fail to repent. Repentance has become a much overused, seldom done facet of the believer’s life. Repentance is not waving at G-d and saying sorry. Our Rabbis nailed it on the head when they said, “the ultimate proof of repentance is that the person stops doing the sin.” Too many times we follow a pattern of sinning, saying I’m sorry to G-d, then repeating over and again, without ever stopping the sin. This is not repentance. Example: a man is married and says he loves his wife; he takes her out, wines and dines her, and is a perfect husband in almost every way. He only has one flaw, he is committing adultery. No matter how many times he says he will stop and says he is sorry, he continues seeing the other woman. Now, if you were the wife, would you be satisfied with his apology knowing he continued the adultery? Sin is like adultery to G-d. Are we choking off G-d’s breath by committing spiritual adultery by sinning?
To have life abundantly and to walk in righteousness, we must breathe deeply of G-d’s Breath, revel in His Life-Giving Spirit. If we want to walk with G-d, then we have to stop and make breathing Him in a priority in life. Scripture says “Be still and know I AM G-D.”
Running at God’s P
ace
Our time on earth may be short compared to eternity, but it is like a Marathon compared to a sprint when we run it for G-d. Marathon runners know the importance of proper breathing. Let’s make sure we are preparing for that marathon. Studies and polls indicate many church attendees do not see the impact of G-d in their lives; that is, G-d makes no difference in their everyday existence. If you’re feeling like this, please don’t wait. Like a person who has stopped breathing this too is an emergency. It is time to let G-d perform CPR and awaken that Breath and get your heart pumping with passion for Him again. Let Him re-attach you by that umbilical cord so that you can breathe Him in deeply. You can’t win this Marathon alone; you need G-d’s Breath!
