atmosphere

As a tinge of orange and rust peaked over the eastern horizon this morning I thought about the atmosphere that surrounds us.  I thought about how the air holds enough of the heat from the previous day that we can bear to be without sunlight through the night.  I thought about the many things our atmosphere does.  It holds the air we need to breathe.  It forms the weather we need for rain.  It provides the wind to carry seeds to new locations.  It bounces the sun's light to give us a blue sky.  Most of the atmosphere is within 10 miles over head, so it is a relatively thin band.  As we move through the air we generally take it for granted because breathing is so automatic and essential and generally we don't even notice the air because, apart from the clouds and the wind, we don't really see it (of course hurricanes can be a rude reminder of the power of the atmosphere).  Like our Lord, the atmosphere is all around and within.  He also provides our spiritual breath and colors our light.  He forms the weather and climate of our lives and we must take this atmosphere into our spiritual lungs if we are to truly live.  We don't often think of the atmosphere, though it affects so much of our lives and we may not think often enough of the presence of the Lord, which surrounds and fills us in a similar way.

Acts 17:²⁷ so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; ²⁸ for in Him we live and move and have our being