Our Breath in His Hands

Late one night last week, when suspicious pains crushed my chest and troubled my spirit, I turned on the lamp beside the bed and begin to read my Bible. Nights too numerous to number have been filled with concern and pain. Yet, on these nights, I always turn to God and His Word – His peace and relief from pain or fear have rescued me from many trips to the emergency room at 3:00 AM!

I endeavor to ask the Holy Spirit to guide me to the particular passages that the Lord would have me read and meditate on at that particular moment in time. On that night last week, I turned to the book of Daniel. I am always inspired and uplifted when I read of Daniel and his faithful friends’ faith – no threat to their lives – whether in a fiery furnace or a lion’s den – could force them to turn against their God. So the God-breathed Words on the pages quickly burned into my mind and spirit and I knew that the particular pains that were confronting me that night were nothing for God to correct.

I continued to read Daniel’s explanation of the “writing on the wall” to the disobedient Belshazzar. His reflections were filled with revelations only available through the Holy Spirit speaking to a faithful heart such as Daniel’s. One particular observation struck a chord in my spirit as I read it: “….and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified” (Daniel 5:23).

What an intimate and personal God we serve! If we believe for a moment we are anything apart from Him, we are sorely mistaken. If He so chooses, he can snuff out our lives in a flash –after all, He “holds our breath in His hand”. Try living without breaths – not possible. If we think for a moment that God is not aware of our thoughts or deeds or lives, be reminded of his personal involvement in our lives. He “owns all our ways”. Go ahead and keep telling yourself that you are the captain of your life ship – God knows differently.

For some, such as Belshazzar, this revelation that God holds our breath in His hands and own our ways was deeply troubling. After all, Belshazzar was deeply troubled, his countenance changed and later that evening, he was killed. For the individual lacking salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in his or her life, Daniels’ report injects havoc in the heart.

However, for me and for every other believer of Jesus Christ, these words are extremely comforting. On that night infused with fear and pain last week, these words caused my spirit to still. It no longer mattered the source or severity of the pains. The God of the Universe was holding my breath in the palm of His hand. If that night was the last night those breaths would be available to me, He would seize them and in a nanosecond or less, I would be absent from this body but present with Him.

Even as Christians, it takes time in His Word and in His presence to fully comprehend that we are not in control of our lives. Leukemia has made me fully aware of the brevity of life and that each moment must be guarded. And His Word has once again reminded me that He is in control of today and all of our tomorrows.