“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Psalm 150:6

Breathing

A friend shared something with me recently. It has been ministering to me very deeply.

“There was a moment when Moses had asked God what His name is. God was gracious enough to answer, and the name He gave is recorded in the original Hebrew as YHWH.

“Over time we’ve arbitrarily added an “a” and an “e” in there to get YaHWeH, presumably because we have a preference for vowels. But scholars and rabbis have noted that the letters YHWH represent breathing sounds, or aspirated consonants. When pronounced without intervening vowels, it actually sounds like breathing. YH (inhale): WH (exhale).

“So a baby’s first cry, his first breath, speaks the name of God. A deep sigh calls His name—or a groan or gasp that is too heavy for mere words. Even an atheist would speak His name unaware that their very breath is giving constant acknowledgment to God. Likewise, a person leaves this earth with their last breath, when God’s name is no longer filing their lungs.

“So when I can’t utter anything else, is my cry calling out His name? Being alive means I speak His name constantly. Is it heard the loudest when I’m the quietest?

“In sadness, we breathe heavy sighs. In joy, our lungs feel almost like they will burst. In fear we hold our breath and have to be told to breathe slowly to help us calm down. When we’re about to do something hard, we take a deep breath to find our courage.

“When I think about it, breathing is giving Him praise. Even in the hardest moments! This is so beautiful and fills me with emotion every time I grasp the thought. God chose to give Himself a name that we can’t help but speak every moment we’re alive. All of us, always, everywhere. Waking, sleeping, breathing, with the name of God on our lips.” *

I have been thinking about this for days. In my weakest moments during my cancer treatment, when I had such bad mouth sores that I couldn’t speak or eat—my very breath was calling His name.

When I was close to leaving this world after complications from a major surgery—my faint breathing was calling His name.

When Floyd was passing from earth to heaven, the nurse said he took a deep breath in and out and was gone. His last breath on earth was calling the name of His beloved Lord.

Every husband and wife, son and daughter, brother and sister, friend and neighbor—every one that we are praying for—is continually breathing His name and is closer than they realize to their Maker.

Even as we sleep, we are “speaking” His name and our lips are praising Him. I am in awe that God made us and planned us this way. How awesome!

Thinking of this has made me aware that He was closer than I even knew on our unexpected journey. I’ve often said that He’s only a whisper away—so incredibly true as we whisper His name with every breath. I am so grateful! All praise to YHWH!

Lord God, You have brought glory to Yourself by creating us to breathe Your name in and out. Hallelujah!

*This has been widely shared, even sung about, but I have been unable to find the original source.