Breath of God

     I was waiting in the parking lot for my husband as he had a doctor's appointment. Due to our new puppy being only eleven weeks old, we don't leave her home alone. As I walked her around the building a young man walked by and commented on how cute she was and that she still had "puppy breath." He noted he also had many types of animals at home and listed off several species. I wondered later, if "puppy breath" was a real thing. To me, her breath didn't smell all that different from the older dogs I've had in the past. But, he seemed to be the animal expert between us, so I took his word on the matter, (at least for that moment). 

    Having a need to know more can be a curse and a blessing for me, sometimes knowing more leads to interesting insights, other times it becomes a rabbit hole to follow which leads to wasting a lot of time! Of course, I had to research whether "puppy breath" was a real thing or not, and sure enough my farm boy acquaintance was correct. It is due to the puppy having no plaque, tartar, or gingivitis yet in its newly formed mouth. So due to its lack of decay, its breath is sweet (possibly the result of the digestion of its mothers' milk...see the new rabbit hole forming:).

     In the Bible, breath is written about quite often in reference to the life giving, powerful, and wisdom-filled breath of God. For example, in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV), we are warned about the power of Jesus Christ to simply breathe on His enemies and cause their demise, "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming." In 2 Timothy 3:16, we are reminded of the origin of the Bible coming from the very breath of God, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be throughly equipped for every good work." 

    But Revelation 13:15, provides an example of when breath is bad, corrupt, and full of decay, "The second beast was given power to breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed." Jesus warns the Pharisees that with the words they breathe, they will be judged in Matthew 12:36 (NLT), "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak." 

    We can breathe out sweet, refreshing words of praise, thanksgiving, encouragement, and wisdom or putrid words of complaining, negativity, discouragement, and foolishness. The choice is always our own to make, no one makes us say or do anything. We can be led by the Spirit and "not grieve the Holy Spirit of God" (Ephesians 4:30 NIV), or we can be led by our flesh and "the lawless one" and fill the air with a stench that glorifies evil and not God. 

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it many benefit those who listen. 

Buttons, our new American Cocker Spaniel puppy.