Come AliveSample

BREATHE

Breath is essential to life. In essence, it is the one thing that separates all things living from all things that are not. All living things require breath to sustain life. 

Even plants require breath (in a sense) as they process the elements differently but still require a certain environment to be able to exist and grow. 

As we dive into this passage, we see there are certain references to breath. God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and say, “I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life." This signifies that aside from a physical element, there is also a spiritual element to a revival. Something is missing that needs to be replaced. 

As Ezekiel prophesies, he hears the sound of a rattling across the valley as limbs, joints, bones and tendons come together. Flesh and skin are added, but there is still something missing - the breath of life.

In Genesis 2:7 God formed a man from dust; but there was no life until God breathed life into his nostrils. Breath in the Bible has a creative element as it signifies life. It also signifies commissioning.

In the gospel of John, Jesus appears before the disciples and commissions them by saying, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” He then proceeds to breathe on them, and declares, “Receive the Holy Spirit”.

The Holy Spirit is symbolized in the Bible as many different things: oil, water and wind among others. It isn’t insignificant that when Jesus imparts the gift of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in this passage that He breathes on them. The breathing is commissioning and the Holy Spirit is the enabling. 

Jesus literally breathed life into them.

The Holy Spirit empowers us to accomplish the purpose of God in our lives. If we try to do life without the presence or enabling of the Holy Spirit we would be missing true life. It’s like we would be bones, flesh and skin yet still missing the breath of life.

Maybe the thing that is missing from your life is God’s empowering presence? Maybe today is a perfect time to allow God to breathe life into you and empower you with the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Verse 14 - "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”

ACTION

Identify an area in your life that is lacking breath. Maybe it has been put back together but it is still lacking life, lacking the touch of God or lacking vitality.

Perhaps as a side study, research into the Holy Spirit. I recommend reading John Bevere’s book, “The Holy Spirit - an Introduction”. 

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, I pray today that you would breathe on me the breath of life so that I will come alive and know that you are God. I accept the enabling and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I want to know what it is to walk each day being led by the Holy Spirit and commissioned to do the purposes of God. Like the disciples, Lord, I pray that you send me also.