Breath of Life: 3 Breaths From God That Shaped HumanityНамуна

If every breath is an utterance of your Creator’s name (YAH, inhale; WEH, exhale) then you could say that the breath of God informs every decision of your brain, every impulse of your neurons and every action of your body. 

Because without your next breath, you would not have any oxygen in your blood, the very thing you need to make your next movement or decision.

The idea of silently speaking Yahweh’s name when we breathe recalls the third commandment that God wrote with His own hand on the tablets of stone given to Moses: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).

It’s not hard to imagine that this commandment means more than any child has ever been taught in Sunday school. The idea that swearing with God’s name is all that the commandment addresses, falls way short of approaching or imagining the fullness of Yahweh’s glory. 

Have you ever needed to turn off a movie or walk away from a conversation because someone so effortlessly cursed, using God’s holy name in vain? The commandment definitely requires us not to use God's name recklessly, but there is much more to it. 

Contrary to the way it’s presented by many as a forgettable and easy commandment to keep, it may in fact be the most difficult of all.

Jesus repeatedly taught that the words and actions of mankind were only indicators of the true self, which is the spirit or heart of a person. In the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus equates anger toward a brother or sister to murder. He also equates lust in a person’s heart to adultery. He lays out a case that convicts every human being (past, present, future) as guilty of sin. He proves that we need a Savior and sets the stage for our desperately needed redemption.

So when we consider the commandment about the name of Yahweh, we should tremble, because we quietly speak His name with our every breath. And the way in which we breathe His name is either an act of worship, in spirit and truth, or by misuse, is actually taking His name in vain.

Oh, how we need a Savior! A Savior that would breathe a second breath that would forever change the world.

Prayer: There is no name that is holy like Yours, God! As I go about my day, as I breathe in Your presence and Your Spirit fills me, I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart would honor You. Help me to be aware that how I breathe Your name reveals my heart and how I revere You Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.