TITLE: THE BREATH OF GOD
SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 2:7
Today, I invite you to pause with me and consider something so ordinary, so constant, that we rarely notice it — our breath. Each of us takes about 20,000 breaths every single day, most without a thought. Our bodies are designed --
• To breathe
• To take in oxygen
• And release carbon dioxide, to sustain life
• And to strengthen us with every breath we take
But what if our breathing could remind us of something deeper? What if our breath could point us to the presence and power of God? Even our technology tries to remind us of this. Apple created a notification app for their watch called “Breathe.” It nudges users –
• To pause
• To be mindful
• To focus on what is important in the moment
• Sometimes, we need that reminder — not just to breathe physically, but to breathe spiritually
Let me ask you a question - when was the last time you lost your breath?
• Maybe you were swimming and realized you needed to come up for air
• Maybe you were running and had to stop to catch your breath
• Maybe you have Asthma and you know the panic of searching for your inhaler
• COPD – Allergies - or a health condition
• Maybe you took a blow to the midsection while playing in a sporting event
• Maybe you have been so overwhelmed by stress or grief that you felt you couldn’t catch your breath
• It can be quite scary to lose your breath!
I remember the rigorous training we went through in Basic Training, the Drill Sergeants pushed us those first few weeks to get us into military shape. I remember they pushed us on a particular day, and I suddenly felt my chest tighten – I couldn’t breath. I had to stop, gasping, feeling helpless. In that moment, I realized how much I took each breath for granted.
There are many things in life that can take our breath away —
• The limits of our strength
• Our wisdom
• Our ability to endure
• Or the suffocating weight of our fears and anxieties
There is an old saying whenever you encounter something that moves you deeply, like --
• Standing before a majestic mountain range
• Witnessing a stunning sunset
• Encountering a work of art that stirs our soul
• We respond that it’s “BREATHTAKING”
When we describe something as “Breathtaking,” we are acknowledging that its beauty or grandeur is so overwhelming that it literally interrupts our normal rhythm of breathing. It’s as if, for a moment, the ordinary act of inhaling and exhaling is paused by awe – wonder - astonishment.
But this reaction is more than just a figure of speech. It points to a profound truth about how beauty and wonder affect us physically and spiritually. When something is “Breathtaking,” it reminds us of our own vulnerability and the limits of our human experience. We are momentarily caught off guard, reminded that life is not just routine, but filled with moments that can surprise - inspire - humble us. These experiences invite us to pause - reflect - recognize that every breath we take is --
• A gift
• A sign of life
• A sign of hope
• A sign of God’s ongoing work in the world
So, the next time you find yourself breathless before something beautiful, consider it an invitation of gratitude and worship.
• Let that moment of awe remind you of the source of all beauty and life
• Allow it to draw you closer to the One who gives you every breath
What if you could not only catch your breath in life, but receive a second wind — a second breath? Let’s begin at the very beginning. In GENESIS 2:7, we read - “THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN FROM THE DUST OF THE GROUND, AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE; AND THE MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” God takes lifeless dust and shapes it into a human form. But it is not until God breathes into that form that life begins. The breath of God transforms dust into a living soul. Humanity is the crowning achievement of God’s creative work — created in God’s image and animated by God’s breath. PSALM 33:6 tells us, “BY THE WORD OF THE LORD THE HEAVENS WERE MADE, AND BY THE BREATH OF HIS MOUTH ALL THEIR HOST.”
• The Hebrew word for “Spirit” is “Ru’ahh”— breath or wind
• The very pronunciation echoes the sound of breath
• Everyone inhale -- “Ruuuuu…”
• And now exhale -- “Ahhhhhhh…”
• Every single breath is a gift of God
• If you are breathing, you are alive, and it’s because of God
But the narrative doesn’t end with creation. There are times in life when we feel like dust again — lifeless, hopeless, cut off. The Bible tells another event about God’s breath in EZEKIEL 37.
Ezekiel is given a vision of a valley filled with dry bones — a symbol of hopelessness and desolation. The people of JUDAH are living in exile in Babylon, feeling cut off from their homeland, from hope, from God. In PSALM 137, we hear their lament -- “BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON THERE WE SAT DOWN, AND THERE WE WEPT WHEN WE REMEMBERED ZION.”
• But God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones
• And as he does
• Breath enters them
• They come to life
God says in EZEKIEL 37:14 “I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, AND YOU SHALL LIVE, AND I WILL PLACE YOU ON YOUR OWN SOIL: THEN YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN AND WILL ACT.” This is a message of hope - God’s breath can revive what seems dead - restore what seems lost. Even in the lifeless captivity of Babylon, God promises to breathe new life into his people.
• Are there any dry bones in your life?
• Places where you feel lifeless - hopeless - cut off?
• Maybe it is time to breathe in the presence of God
The third event of God’s breath is found in ST. JOHN 20. After Jesus’ crucifixion, his disciples were gathered behind locked doors, overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty. Their hopes seemed to be shattered, and their future was clouded with doubt. Yet, in that moment of despair, Jesus appeared among them and spoke words of comfort - “PEACE BE WITH YOU.” Then, He did something extraordinary — “WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS, HE BREATHED ON THEM AND SAID TO THEM, ‘RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT.’”
In this sacred moment, Jesus imparted the very breath of God — the Holy Spirit into His disciples. This divine breath did not merely calm their anxieties; it infused them with strength, boldness, and spiritual authority. God’s breath brought them –
• PEACE that surpasses understanding, anchoring their hearts amidst turmoil
• COURAGE to face the world and its challenges, transforming timidity into bold faith
• PURPOSE that redefined their lives, giving them a mission beyond their fears
• STRENGTH to endure, persevere, and overcome every obstacle
• VALUE as chosen vessels, empowered to carry God’s presence and message to all nations
This act was not just a comfort; it was a commissioning.
• The breath of God turned ordinary men into extraordinary witnesses, equipping them to change the world
• Their fear was transformed into faith
• Their weakness into strength
• Their uncertainty into unwavering purpose
The same breath that gave life to ADAM and revived the dry bones in EZEKIEL’S vision now empowered the disciples to share the good news. Many scholars see Jesus’ act of breathing on the disciples as an act of “re-creation.” Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, all people can be restored as children of God by placing their faith in Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit. Pentecost marked the beginning of a new era, symbolized by the breath of God — the Holy Spirit. Jesus then commissioned his disciples to go into a world full of challenges and uncertainties -- “AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, I AM SENDING YOU.” And with that, he breathed on them and said, “RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. IF YOU FORGIVE ANYONE’S SINS, THEIR SINS ARE FORGIVEN; IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE THEM, THEY ARE NOT FORGIVEN.”
Imagine that moment - the disciples inhaled the breath of the risen Lord — the first immortal man. They may not have fully understood the theology of the Holy Spirit, but they received the breath of their Lord who had conquered death. No breath could be sweeter!
Science tells us that breathing deeply can –
• Calm our bodies
• Lower our heart rates
• Ease symptoms of stress
• Ease symptoms Anxiety
• Ease symptoms Depression
Just as physical breath sustains life, God’s breath sustains our spirit. When we pause to breathe, we can intentionally lower our stress levels and invite God’s presence into our lives. But the breath of God is more than a metaphor — it is the Holy Spirit Himself. The Holy Spirit is the third member of the trinity, which means He is God. When Jesus breathed on His disciples, they received the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit. All who place faith in Christ today also receive the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
By the breath of God, the disciples were able to perform miracles and speak boldly in previously unknown languages. Through the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, God opened the door for all people to be saved, including Gentiles. Paul tells us in ROMANS 10:13, “FOR, ‘EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’”
• Through the power of the Holy Spirit, all believers can bring glory to God and serve Him with their entire souls
• The Holy Spirit helps us when we do not know what we should pray for, as He intercedes in moans, groans, and noises that we cannot understand
Every Christian has the breath of God in them right now. This does not mean we are “gods” ourselves, but rather that we have the Holy Spirit living inside us.
• The Holy Spirit’s indwelling is permanent
• He will never leave us nor abandon us
Even though we may feel alone, we are never alone because the Holy Spirit is within us always and forever. And with His presence comes strength –
• Strength to endure trials
• Strength to overcome weakness
• Strength to stand firm in faith
The breath of God empowers us, giving us courage and resilience even in the face of adversity.
• When we feel weary or overwhelmed, we can draw upon the strength of the Holy Spirit
• Knowing that His power is made perfect in our weakness
Some 400 times we read about the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament — blowing upon --
• Moses
• The Judges
• The Kings
• The Prophets
In the NT, the Gospel writers make it clear that the most remarkable attribute of Jesus was the presence and power of the Holy Spirit upon him.
• Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit
• At his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven
• The Holy Spirit led and filled Jesus, enabling him to overcome temptation and inaugurate his ministry “in the power of the Holy Spirit”
• The Spirit of the Living God raised Jesus to life
• God’s promise through the ages has always been to fill us human beings to overflowing with the same Spirit that filled Jesus
• This was God’s purpose and plan all along
The prophets foretold a day when God would pour out His Spirit on all humanity --
• JOEL 2:27-29
• EZEKIEL 39:29
• ISAIAH 44:2-3
• ZECHARIAH 12:10-14
At creation, the Spirit brought order and beauty out of chaos.
• In the days of Noah, water cleansed the earth
• The prophets foretold a day when God would send forth His Holy Spirit like a mighty fountain to Wash – Cleanse – Forgive - Redeem — not destroy — sinful man
Our first breath matters for this life and is a gift. But how much greater is this second breath, this deeper breath? In ST. JOHN 3:3-5, JESUS TELLS NICODEMUS, “UNLESS SOMEONE IS BORN OF WATER AND SPIRIT, HE CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. WHATEVER IS BORN OF FLESH IS FLESH, AND WHATEVER IS BORN OF SPIRIT IS SPIRIT! DO NOT BE AMAZED THAT I TOLD YOU THAT YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN. THE WIND BLOWS WHERE IT PLEASES, AND YOU HEAR ITS SOUND (RUUUUU AHHHHH), BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE IT COMES FROM OR WHERE IT IS GOING. SO IT IS WITH EVERYONE BORN OF THE SPIRIT.”
When a baby is born, its first act is to breathe. In the same way, when someone is born again as a child of God, their spiritual life begins with a breath — THE BREATH OF GOD. But just as physical growth requires continual breathing, spiritual growth demands that we learn to breathe deeply and regularly in God’s presence. Many believers have experienced that first breath of new life, but have you learned to take your second breath — the breath that fills you with the Holy Spirit’s power and sustains you through every challenge?
In ACTS 2, when PETER preached, the people were deeply moved and convicted. He declared, “REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED… AND YOU WILL RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT.” This promise is not limited to a select few, it is for you, your children, and for everyone who feels far from God. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift of strength – comfort - guidance, available to all who call on Him. Just as a newborn’s first breath is essential for life, the ongoing breath of the Holy Spirit is essential for living a victorious, purposeful Christian life.
Just as our physical bodies require a steady rhythm of breathing to survive and thrive, our spiritual lives depend on the continual presence and power of the Holy Spirit. the first breath of new life in Christ is only the beginning — what truly sustains us through every challenge - temptation - season of uncertainty is the ongoing, daily filling of God’s Spirit. When we intentionally pause to invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts, we receive fresh strength - renewed hope - divine guidance for every step.
• This is not a one-time experience, but a lifelong journey of drawing deeply from the well of God’s presence
• As PAUL reminds us in EPHESIANS 5:18, we are to “BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT”
• An ongoing action that empowers us to live victoriously and purposefully, no matter what we face
--We need ‘THE BREATH OF GOD’
--We need a Second Wind
--We don’t operate in full strength of our calling without ‘THE BREATH OF GOD’
