Breathe

Feb 26, 2021

"And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will."

- St. Paul, Romans 8:27

"The one who lives the most life is the one who breathes the most air."

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

In Exodus 3, Moses is expressing Phil Wickam's longing for Eden… the way things used to be. God's people are suffering and dying under the oppressive hand of Pharaoh. Moses complains to God. In response, God tells Moses to go and demand that Pharaoh, the greatest political, military and most powerful leader in the ancient world, to let his people go! This may be the moment Moses began to stutter… wouldn't you? Trying to excuse himself from this certain suicide mission, Moses protests and God says,

"Say this to the people of Israel: 'Yahweh' (YHWH) or 'I AM WHO I AM', the God of your ancestors - the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob - has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations."

- Exodus 3:15

This is the first time in the history of the world that God has told us His Name. It's spelled YHWH in Hebrew. Ancient rabbis believed that the name of God was so holy that it should not be spoken. Rabbis taught that the sacred Tetragrammaton YHWH was not pronounceable… only breathable. They concluded that the name of God is actually the sound of breathing. The Hebrew letters are pronounced Y (Yod), H (Hey), W (Vah), H (Hey).

For just a moment… close your eyes… become aware of your breathing… and breathe God's Name…

Inhale..."Yod" (Y)

Exhale..."Hey" (H)

Inhale..."Vah" (W)

Exhale..."Hey" (H)

Let your breathing remind you that the One who is Himself the Breath of Life… the One who breathed His life into you to make you a living person (Genesis 2:7)... the One who is the Breath of all Life is… right now… as close to you as the air you breathe.

Think about it...

from a baby's first breath she is whispering the name of her Creator...

even as you complain about God's absence your breath affirms His presence...

as the atheist declares that God is dead the breath in his lungs confirms that He is alive...

even the last breath of an old man's life declares that God, not death, will have the last word.

Could it be that our Creator God loves us so much that He wanted every single breath we take to remind us of Him… the One who gives us life and is our Life?

I was talking to my mother last week and she was upset that every time she enters a Doctors office her blood pressure goes up… there's even a name for it… "white coat syndrome". So, I told her to do everything the doctor is recommending… and one thing more. As you enter the waiting room, take a seat, sit up straight, close your eyes, relax, take a deep breath. Now, become aware of your breathing. Breathe God's Name…

Inhale..."Yod" (Y)

Exhale..."Hey" (H)

Inhale..."Vah" (W)

Exhale..."Hey" (H)

Breathe out… Breathe In… Become aware of the gift you've been given by the Breath of Life Himself, who loves you and is with you. Your Creator God is as close to you as the air you breathe… ‘cause He IS your Breath!

If you're up against something today that's causing your blood pressure to rise… like Moses… don't forget to breathe! Practice breathing right where you are… right now!