Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7
The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4
When I was growing up, the area behind my house was a strip mine. You could sit on the top of that basin and see quite far. Hundreds of thousands of acres had been left barren in my state with only rocks and dirt surviving the mining that took place. My house was on a border of a state park. There was acre upon acre of undeveloped land that was mostly woods and a huge lake.
Those woods and a large lake provided many enjoyable activities for a heap of people. Yet, there was the place behind my house. Let me paint a picture of just how open it was. One day, there was a loud noise in that strip mine. When we went to investigate, we found a small plane that was having trouble had crashed there…or landed there. I’m not really sure which, but nobody was hurt. Why? Well, one reason was that there were no trees to cause an issue!
I remember my dad would sit with me on that top, and we’d look down while watching for wildlife. Big, beautiful snowflakes would be falling around us, giving the land a fresh, clean look. He used to tell me that the land was like a cake, and those snowflakes were the icing on the cake. He helped me appreciate and enjoy the land God made.
I’ve recently walked back into that barren basin where I grew up and couldn’t see a thing except large trees and an area teeming with wildlife! The land was reclaimed and is alive again!
It made me realize how we go through periods of time that seem quite barren. It could be from human hands, sin, complacency, boredom, disappointment, bitterness, heartache or never having received Jesus into our lives…to name just a few.
When we are in a season like that, we feel pretty empty and there doesn’t seem to be any growth happening, but all it takes is God to breathe new life into us in order to become alive again. It could happen immediately! However, don’t give up if you don’t see results immediately because some seeds take more time than others to sprout and grow into trees.
As God is preparing your heart for new growth, He might choose to use that season to build your character as you’re waiting to see the new life that is already coming up through the soil to reach the light. No matter how alone and empty you feel, you aren’t. He never, ever, never leaves us when He’s our Lord.
Please trust me when I tell you that if God can create the heavens and the earth and all in them, His breath can give you new life…turning your barren time into a time of growth, fullness, and abundance. Ask for Him to breathe new life into you. Then, start learning and agreeing with His promises He’s given just for you. Wait expectantly with new hope that you’re about to see those seeds sprout into a lush forest!
