Job's trials gave him revelation on the character of God as "El Shaddai," The Almighty One. Job 33:4 instructs that, "the Spirit of God has made me and the breath of the Almighty gives me life."
Undeniably, this timeless message teaches that without the breath of God, man could not live, as "...the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being" (Gen. 2:7).
It is by God's Spirit, The Breath of Eternity, that we live and have our being! This thought, alone, fills us with wonder and amazement and reminds us of the goodness of our Creator!
Oh, What A Cry It Was!
Nine months must have seemed like an eternity to Mary and Joseph as they waited for the arrival of the prophesied Miracle. Can you imagine their delight as they heard the birthing cry of the Babe, Jesus, upon arrival!
The Sweet Breath of God, God's Holy Spirit, indwelt and manifested in the life and personhood of Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man! Mind-boggling as it may seem, the same opportunity to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be led by the Breath of the Lord is available to anyone who receives Jesus as Savior!
A few years ago, my husband, son and I were dining in a local restaurant in Southern California. The first bite lodged in my throat closing my airway. I couldn't speak, thus, I felt incapacitated to receive help.
My husband and son were talking and eating so neither one of them realized that I was choking! I began to stand to my feet, when a waiter noticed my distress and quickly administered the Heimlich maneuver two times so that I was able to breathe freely once again!
It was startling to know that my life was slipping away and I vividly understood, at that moment, that we live our lives daily—just a "breath away"—from eternity. As the tears rolled down my cheeks, I knew that the Lord would teach me something from this episode.
How fragile life is! How desperately we need Jesus to fill our lives with His Breath, that we would not make frivolous choices and impetuous decisions!
I began to think, have we as a people (the people of God!) become like the dry bones of Ezekiel 37, breathless, listless and bristling against one another, causing clamor and discord?
Attempts To Suffocate God's Breath Of Life
Throughout the ages, the enemy has attempted to snuff out the Breath of God! The Pharoahs, the Philistines, Sanballat and Tobiah, Nebuchadnezzar, the Herod's, the spirit of antichrist has attempted to preempt God's plan to bring salvation to the world by the Breath of God.
This same spirit tried to suffocate the voice of the prophets and consistently tries to bring forth divisions and confusion in the Church and among the people of God. A wise man once said, "...if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God" (Acts 5:38b-39)!
This simple wisdom was spoken centuries ago by Gamaliel, the teacher of the Apostle Paul, yet, how relevant is this word to us today!
Too frequent are the times when we discount the presence of the Spirit of God in any given situation. We analyze televangelists and the efficacy of their ministries, we scrutinize brothers and sisters who minister in our congregations and rate their genuineness; we exalt our friends and systematically demean the ministries of other equally gifted people that are unknown to us.
Let Us Learn From Job and Mary
Job, with all his testing, did not fall prey to choking off God's Spirit. Mary and Joseph, forewarned by the Breath of the Spirit of Herod's strangulating plan of infanticide, took refuge, for a season, in a foreign land that afforded them "breathing room" until the demise of the despot!
And in the same manner, God's Breath of Life will lead us in the ways of everlasting and will give us wisdom when blockages lodge in the pathways of life! The Lord is always available to breathe fresh breath into our lives yet, too often, we knowingly or unknowingly, choke off the Breath of the Jesus!
Beloved, Let Jesus Breathe!
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Pastor Lorraine Coconato and her husband Frank of almost 40 years, along with their elder son, Pastor Todd Coconato, (Associate Pastor) have pastored Leaves of Healing Tabernacle in Chatsworth, CA for 6 1/2 years. 
