Breath of Change
Jeanne Stewart, Oklahoma
One morning as I drove along a winding road, among beautiful rolling hills of trees and vibrant flowers, I unexpectedly had a new glimpse of the Spirit of worship in nature. All the trees and flowers were moving together gently in the morning breeze like a hand in a glove. I witnessed the praise of creation coming up from the earth within nature, to the throne room of heaven. Becoming broken in the presence of God and breathing in suddenly, the spirit of worship from my heart changed into rejoicing. I poured out my love in the form of tender words unto my Lord “…All You have made will praise You, O Lord (Psalm 145:10).” I realized the breath of His presence had changed me as I allowed Holy Spirit to move me.
In Genesis, the breath of God spoke all creation into being. But on the sixth day, while nature watched, God formed the most marvelous of His creation. Man was shaped with the hands of Almighty God. Do you think nature leaned in a little closer to see what Father was creating when He started breaking clods of dirt, shaping earthen clay, and breathed into the form the breath of His very own existence?
We were created higher than the natural world and animals. Our form of life was made beautiful in the image of God, simply by the breath of His Glory spoken. A change happened; nature’s clay became living flesh. From the spoken creation of the first five days, man became the breathing, living image of His Father by a gentle breath of change that sixth day.
From Genesis, go with me to John, chapter 20, where Jesus appeared to His disciples behind closed doors. In verses 21 through 22, dramatic change was about to dissolve the fear that hovered in that locked room. “Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that, He breathed on them and said “…receive the Holy Spirit.” Again we see the breath of change – the breath of the Holy Spirit – a new anointing after the resurrection of Christ. We later see in Acts, the evidence of change when the 120 received the Holy Spirit of power by a spoken heavenly language on each one. The action of the breath of the Spirit produced the evidence of change to speak God’s holy words with power. Up until that time, for some three years, the disciples had been spectators as Jesus ministered what His Father had given Him to do. The disciples had watched their Master become broken and poured out from Gethsemane to Calvary. But now change had come and the wind of the Spirit was blowing again. They were no longer mere spectators, but imitators of Christ.
Almighty God reached into His creation of broken dirt and clay to form man. From man’s broken side, He reached in to form woman. Jesus formed His disciples to carry on the work of the kingdom from everything within Himself. His side was pierced, flowing out the blood and water forming us, His Bride today. By the wind of the Spirit, He wants to breathe into our broken areas of greatest weakness and make them to become our areas of greatest strength in Him.
Friend, there is an aroma of the fresh and new in the atmosphere, blowing from the wind of the Spirit, breathing new life into willing vessels. I encourage you to reach deeper and come up higher, finding your place in Him. Know that your new life comes from Jesus’ death, your strength from His pain, your healing from His stripes, your peace from His agony and your complete joy from His sorrow. So take that deep breath of change…and breathe in what the Spirit of the living God is pouring out from heaven these last days before His return.
