Breath of Life

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Ezekiel 37:9-10

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

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Head under water
And they tell me
to breathe easy for a while.
The breathing gets harder
even I know that

"Love Song" written and recorded by Sara Bareilles from "Little Voice"

Breathe on me breath of God. Breathe your life into me and into all that surrounds me. Command me that I may be your instrument. Command me so that your will may be done here and everywhere, now and forevermore.

In this world we often get worse instructions than that though. We're told me to hold our heads underwater and breathe easy. What kind of lousy advice is this? It's a command of suffering and death, not of life. It's funny how many people, even knowing breathing gets harder underwater, go ahead and take the advice and drink the Kool-Aid.

We take bad advice for all sorts of reasons, some of them even good reasons. But bad advice remains bad advice regardless of the outcome. Listen to the good commands. Listen to the word of the Lord God and breathe the breath of life.

How can we breathe the breath of life? We do this whenever we share God's word with another. We do this when we lift up one who needs God's hands. We do this when we care for those who need God's heart. We do this when we do God's work.

By this, we do God's work. By this new life is brought to old bones. Hear the word of the Lord.