“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and fan became
a living soul" (Genesis 2:7).
Beyond the difficulties, beyond the pain, beyond the separation of loved ones,
beyond the regrets, something glorious has taken place in my life. A real wonder
has come to shine upon my once darkened soul. These years of captivity have brought
a freedom I never knew, and it has blossomed from within my inter-most being. As it
is written, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John
8:36). A mans heart, without the regenerating force of God's resuscitation, is a
wretched form of life encased by a body of death. And without the breath of His
Spirit, death flaws rancid throughout the veins. Oh but what I find to be ineffable
is an all holy, all wise infinite Creator burst through the hardness of my decay
and laid hold of the bonds of sin and snapped the chains asunder. This bona fide
Glory then instilled within me His wind of wonder. The potency of this wind continues
to tremble and shock any darkness that attempts re-entry. It's squall is magnificent,
yet amidst the power of it's cleansing fury, a tranquil and serene peace enfolds my
heart. Indeed once I was as bones without marrow, yet life He spoke to these bones,
"Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter in
you, and ye shall live" (Ezekiel 37:5). So I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God,
who loves me, and gave Himself for me [Gal. 2:20]. So am I still held captive ?
Physically yes. Yet true freedom comes from the spirit of man, and that true freedom
is only given by the Spirit of God. So yes, I am absolutely free, for my soul soars
upon the winds of the breath of God. Thus as my soul is soothed, as my heart is
embraced by His delightful fire, I will carry on, I will prevail, I will live life
to it's fullest, by Him alone. For I myself have found no greater sustentation, no
greater way, no, never before have I latched hold of such glory. And I'll never let
go, for His breath has perfumed my life with a fragrant sweetness of awe. And I will
continually dance amidst His wind. For one day, I rest assured, this zephyr will
break free of this mortal body, and in oneness with my spirit carry me away unto the
heavenlies, where I, with arms stretched wide, will praise the Source of it's breath.
And soak in the radiance of His awesome glory, forever and ever and ever.
Is it worth the fight? Indeed it is. For the truly beautiful and wonderful splen-
dors are fought for and well worth the struggle. For I reckon that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us [Romans 8:18]. For as the butterfly struggles desperately to free
itself from the bondage of it's cocoon, once it wriggles free, and it rests in awe
of the wondrous world around, it stretches forth it's wings, then as the wind, as
the breath of God lifts me from the confines, I will fly. I will soar to meet the
Heart of my strength, and I know, it will indeed be beautiful, it will be glorious.
And after I knell before Him in reverence of His holiness, I will then lunge into
His arms and relish my long awaited caress. And they say there will be no tears in
heaven, but I firmly believe I will weep tears of exceeding joy, all in the arms of
the One who lifted me from death and filled me with His glorious breath of life.
And I know it's coming, I can feel it, it's irresistible draw. Hence my faith abounds
in this unseen force, and I will heed to His call, I will follow the wings of this
wind, and I will rejoice in what is to come. Do I know what I will do, or where
I will go? Do I fret of tomorrow? No, for He is in complete control, and He will
carry me upon His breath, and I will be with Him and He will be with me. For, "The
wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it
comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit [of God]"
(John 3:8). 0 blessed be His awesome name, for there is nothing more beautiful, than
soaring upon the wings of the Master. Let His breath of life be life to you. For
as you heed to His precious wind. He will fill you with a warmth of wonder beyond
all you've ever known. I bear witness of the truth I've spoken. To his Glory forever !
Jeffrey Brackett Quante IV
January 5-7, 2001