dirt and breath

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Every person is made of the same stuff: dirt and Heaven's breath.  Our physical bodies were entirely fashioned by God's creative power and the ingredients He used were all from the earth He'd already formed.  We are highly organized dirt and we have the capacity to, not only function, but to reproduce.  There is a great deal of interest in genealogy to trace our ancestry back generations.  But, in fact, all of our ancestry ultimately is traced to the first created people.  But, I believe that what distinguishes man from the rest of creation is the second part of our composition: the breath of Heaven.  God "breathed into his nostrils" a breath that isn't physical because God is a spirit and so is His breath.  And so, in the image of God the essence of our life is spiritual as well.  There is something inside that senses we are more than just a body, or even a body and a mind.  Eternity was breathed into our being when we were created and somewhere within we know that eternity is our destiny.   That destiny is fulfilled when we realize that we need a second act of creation that is personal and individual...when we place our hand and heart in His and trust.  The part of our person that we see and know and have experienced throughout life's journey is destined to die...to return to the dirt from which it was formed, but the breath of Heaven is intended to be restored to its Heavenly source, to the atmosphere surrounding Heaven's throne.

blessings,

Rob Smith