THEN THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN OF DUST FROM THE GROUND,
AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE; AND MAN
BECAME A LIVING BEING…
Genesis 2:7
When my youngest brother was still a babe in the crib, I used to sit in the rocker in his room and read
while he napped; it was quiet and peaceful. Often, I liked to just watch his rhythmic breathing,
steady and restful. It meant life.
Studying for this idea of the Spirit of God being the very breath of our life has “blown” me away. I
have been so blessed by the Biblical imagery throughout both the Old and New Testament of this
concept. Amazingly enough, the word “Spirit” comes from the Hebrew root, Ruwach (roo-akh),
meaning wind or breath. (The Greek comes from this root as well.) So we can begin to really get a
context for what our Lord meant when He said, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the
sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born
of the Spirit.” (John 3:8, NASB) The Spirit cannot be seen as He is, but His power and work are ever
present. Just as the wind surges past and wraps around us, we cannot see it, but there is evidence
of its presence all around.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and
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