Breathe

Breathe

Bible: John 15:4-12

Reading

Apart from me you can do nothing (V.5).

I’m not a good runner. A run for me includes pain, boredom and fighting the little voice in my head screaming: “Stop!” But I keep at it. A friend told me to focus on my breathing while running, rather than how I feel. It was good advice, because I found that when I focused on keeping my breaths deep and even, I naturally settled into a steady pace. But whenever I forget to focus on breathing deeply, my muscles quickly became too sore to continue. I often make a similar mistake in my spiritual journey. I focus on myself and all the stuff I need to do—until I’m so tired and fed up that I realise I’ve totally run out of energy. Like oxygen, only the Spirit of God has the power to breathe life into us (ROMANS 8:2). As Jesus explained to His friends in John 15, like branches of a vine, our spiritual life depends on remaining in Him (JOHN 15:1-4). “Apart from me,” Jesus said, “you can do nothing” (V.5). But when we rest with Him through His Spirit, we’ll find our lives overflowing with His joy and love (VV.7-11). Now when I go for a run, as I feel the flow of each breath through my
body, I try to remember to also draw on the Spirit’s life flowing inside me. He leads me to a life that’s far better than I could ever have imagined.

THE HOLY SPIRIT BREATHES LIFE INTO
US EVERY DAY.

Youth Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries