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Articles
Holding Your Breath
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to hold your breath longer than you thought you could? I have sometimes dreamed that I was under the water and it was a long way to the surface. Some, when confined to a small space, begin to feel like they are suffocating and become short of breath.
Very few things are more frightening than losing our breath. The reason is very simple: without air we will die. This makes our “breath” very personal which in turn makes us determined to be in control of the situations that might lead to suffocation. After all, it is our breath, our life, that we are talking about!
The Bible tells us that God “holds our breath” in His hand. Meaning that we are not as “in control” as we often think. “...and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.” (Dan 5:23).
We often go through life as if we determine the world around us. Granted, God has put much in our hands and has given to us the freedom of choice. But that does not mean that our choices are always right or will always be ours alone to make. God may very well have different plans.
James warns us against boasting about tomorrow. “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (Jas 4:14). His point is that we must be conscious of God in all that we do, and that it is God who “holds our breath in His hands.” Notice vs 15: “Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
Yes, work hard (Col 3:23) and enjoy the fruit of your labor (Eccl 5:18), but don’t forget who gives us every good and perfect gift (Jas 1:17). And the Lord promises to be with us and tells us not to worry about the physical necessities of life (Php 4:6; Matt 6:33). But don’t forget the conditions of these promises: prayer, thanksgiving, and seeking first the kingdom. You see, it is God who holds our breath in His hands.
And so, let each of us be reminded that God is. He is the great “I Am.” Job understood these great truths about God. “Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this. In whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” (Job 12:9-10). We can only hold our breath for a short time. God holds it for all eternity!
