The Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils. —Genesis 2:7
Most of us in the Western world foster a fiercely independent spirit. In the United States, we celebrate Independence Day to remember the birth of our country. So it’s no surprise that as Christians we need to be reminded of our dependence on God.
Every breath I take comes from a sovereign God, the Giver of Life. The first breath of the first man was a grace gift from God. Your first breath and mine were nothing less—a gift straight from the Creator.
God is also the Sustainer of Life. We deceive ourselves into thinking that because He has chosen to use people to accomplish His purposes, He somehow needs us. Not only that, God is the Renewer of Life. We’re born with the dead, dry bones of sin (Psalm 51:5), but by His grace we’re redeemed by the breath of life! And His renewing power doesn’t end there. He has promised bodily resurrection and salvation for His people (Ezek. 37:12)—including you and me.
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“Breath and Dependence” (Laura Elliott, ReviveOurHearts.com/blog)
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
When you’re tempted to function in your own strength this week, how can you stop to acknowledge your utter dependence on God?