Wednesdays of Wonder - The Very Breath of God

In Genesis, a few days after the Creation of the Universe, the Lord made a human, in the image of the Trinity.  He took the earth and formed, sculpted and perfected the very first human - Adam.  He spoke the animals into being, but made humanity with His own hands.

To cement this first precious life, He breathed His breath into his lungs.  Adam lungs inflated, not with oxygen or atmosphere, but the Holy Spirit.  (Genesis 2:7)

Adam wasn't alive because he could breath air.  He was alive because he was filled with Ruach Elohim Who had given Him pneuma, the ancient Greek word for soul, spirit, breath or wind.  It is the source of continued, blessed life.  That's what Adam got. 

We receive it as well when we place our faith in Jesus.  In John 20:21, Jesus demonstrated this with His Disciples after the His resurrection. 

Jesus said to them again, Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.  After saying this, He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit...'

We live because He lives in us.  We move and have our being because He breathed His Spirit into us.  Beyond that, He affords us the opportunity to life in fullness with Him, with the chance to invite that same Spirit to overflow out of us and into others. 

Our encounter today reminds us of the power of God, not only in His being, but in His breath.  It is a beautiful, incredible portrait of how He encounters us when we least expect it, and especially when we ask for Him too! It's from my friend Shelley Einarsson.  Let the Holy Spirit breath life into you today!  

I was attending a prayer retreat in February 2014 to have an opportunity to see The Lord more clearly.  The setting was incredible.  It was a precious country house with a lovely pond in front of the house.  I spent much time on the front porch, looking at God’s amazing wonders.  He was present!  The Lord was in this place!

On my final day, I was preparing for my last prayer session.  I sat in a small room on a folding chair praying, breathing, and meditating.  I wanted to hear what The Lord wanted me to know.  I wanted His truth revealed to me and the lies to be washed away.  I breathed in “God the Father” and breathed out “Shelley”; I breathed in “Jesus the Son” and breathed out “Shelley”; I breathed in “The Holy Spirit” and breathed out “Shelley”.  Lastly, I breathed in “faith” and breathed out “Shelley”.   

I was breathing softly, nearly silently. However, from the back of my right ear I heard a breath.  It was loud and gentle, but very clear.  I looked around the room; I was the only one in the room.   

I ignored the sound as my imagination, or others breathing loud, or the wind.  I closed my eyes and began breathing again.  I heard it again.  I opened my eyes and looked around again.  Nobody.  I ran out of the room and saw a woman standing far across the house.  I asked her if she was breathing loudly but she wasn't.  I told her the story and again disregarded it as my imagination.

I went back into the room and into breathing.  (I was not going to let fear distract me.  I knew that I was to hear from God.)  So I blanked out my mind and I heard the sound again.  Surely, I was hearing things.  This couldn’t be God, could it?   

Fear or the thought of the unknown took over again and I ran out of the room.  The first lady, still across the room, assured me it wasn’t her and we found an obvious conclusion to the sound: 4 ladies in the other room praying.

At that moment, the 4 ladies walked out and I asked them if they were breathing heavy.  I had to get to the bottom of this sound!!  They had not however, they were praying for The Holy Spirit to enter this house and breathe His breath over the house and in the house.   

We stood amazed and told them what I had just experienced!  They assured me it was The Holy Spirit’s breath flowing in the room and He gave that gift to me.  He wanted me to hear Him and let me know that He was indeed present.

While I'd been praying, I asked for all of my physical, natural senses to come alive with Him.  I was welcoming The Holy Spirit.  I thanked God.  I asked for His presence and He immediately delivered.  

I doubted initially but immediately confessed my doubt.   I praised Him for showing up in a mighty way.  His breath!!  All of the ladies praised God & thanked Him for showing himself.  They all encouraged me to receive what The Lord did for me and I did!!  I will forever be changed because of Him and for Him!!  The presence of Ruach Elohim!  I couldn’t explain it away.  It was real!   

He revealed himself to me in the very way that I asked; through my bodily senses.  I will never be the same!  I am blessed!  I know God, I have known God, and I received His sweet gentle breath of Him knowing me!

PRAISE GOD!