Did You Inhale?

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”  [Psalm 150:6]

Breath…something that is vital to our existence! Breathing…something we do daily without conscious effort or thought…until we can’t!

Oxygen! I used to never think about inhaling precious oxygen every second of the day until 2022. When I experienced a severe illness and required an oxygen mask to aid my breathing, that all changed. Now, I think about it every single day!  Yes, I inhale deep draughts of oxygen that penetrate my lungs and I am grateful every single day!

Years ago, a presidential candidate was asked a question about smoking a certain type of illegal drug. He famously replied, “I didn’t inhale.”  Of course, for years, he received extensive ridicule for that statement. It’s difficult not to inhale when we need air. 

Do you inhale? Of course you do! If you are reading this, you inhale. Hopefully, it is clean, pure oxygen and nothing else that alters its effects on your body. Oxygen is most vital to our survival. We are unable to live without it after a few short minutes. We desperately need to breathe oxygen.

The Hebrew word for breath is Ruach. Were you aware that it also means spirit, more specifically, the Spirit of God? Wow! A powerful image comes to mind when substituting “Spirit” for “breath” in the above verse:  “Let everything that has the Spirit praise the Lord!”  Author Dave Adamson, in his devotional, Seven Hebrew Words says this:  “…man only becomes a ‘living being’ when God gives him His Spirit.”  He continues with this:  “…so to be alive we first inhale God’s Spirit and then we exhale praise.” 

When I read this recently, it caused me to reflect on what (and who) I inhale and exhale! My desire is to inhale His Spirit and exhale praise!

What (or Who) do you inhale and exhale?