MŌRIAH - Am I Known, Seen, Loved?Sýnishorn

Closer Than My Next Breath

I once heard The Holy Spirit described as "closer than your next breath." This intimate visual always stuck with me as someone prone to believe that God's presence was contingent on my performance. When I tried to articulate this concept through a song, I struggled to find the lyrics that would convey this relentless nearness. So I asked one of the greatest poets I know, Amanda Lindsay Cook, for some assistance. These are the ideas and words born out of our writing session.

Lyric: I know it in my bones, I feel it in my blood, it's what I'm made for, it's what I'm made of. (Credit: Moriah Smallbone, Amanda Lindsey Cook, LIVE from the Quarry)

Did you know that nearly every blood cell in our body carries oxygen? Just the idea of trying to remove oxygen from a blood cell seems ridiculous and impossible. This is how we can think of God's very presence in our lives. It's inextricable. It's not hidden in some small corridor of our hearts; it is in every single bit of what sustains us. The more we learn about how the very breath of God is inside, throughout, and around us, the more we can start to imagine how inescapable his love is.

Perhaps it would be helpful to identify the specific thought patterns that cause us to believe that separation is actually possible. For some, accomplishment negates how near or far God is from our hearts. For others, shame, sin, and mistakes seem to cause this division. What if God has always been near, or as St. Augustine said, "closer to us than we are to ourselves." It is only our egos that numb and dull our awareness.

Time spent in secret and still places is vital to experience God's presence fully. The more time we devote to quieting our souls, the less we resist the gentle closeness of The Spirit gifted to us as an eternal comfort. Let's keep all of this in mind as we cherish our final intention of this devotional based on Jesus’ words in John 14:15, “But you know him already because he has been staying with you and will even be in you!”

Intention:

For 60 seconds, focus on your breath and inhale the words, "Holy Spirit, you are always with us." Now, exhale this thought, "Nothing can separate us."