The Spirit in Our Souls

Many times, I have longed for the whisper.

I have desired the strength to confess the passion that stirs within me. Whispers can expose how we have betrayed our souls to assimilate into society’s norms.

We whisper, convincing ourselves that speaking the truths of time will not destroy us. A whisper gives life to thoughts and ideas, igniting the fire within and exposing it to the world. Scripture tells us that the power of life and death is in the tongue; however, actions do not bring life. Air does.

The dry bones in Elijah’s story came together physically but were brought to life by God’s breath. By adding wind to the movements of our mouths, we release our dreams and fears, turning them into reality and unlocking their power. But the impact of our words is not determined by the volume of our speech, nor is it limited by the lack of it. Conviction drives the force of nature that sound creates, leaving a wake that ripples in the realm of silence.

A sound so light can be a formidable weapon destroying hope and instilling fear, or it can be the anchor of resolve to annihilate fear and hopelessness.

Confidence screams in the hushed tones that become a whisper. Fear fades as life is given to words floating on the wings of faith. Enemies will fall, and alliances will be made based on the almost silent confessions of the heart.

Whispers often expose the truth we pretend to be lies because freedom frightens us.

I am tired of living in the shadow of self-doubt and lack of confidence in my worth. I want to experience the shaky, jagged breaths as I force sound into the admission of love, shattering the foundations of expectation.

Let the joy of new birth illuminate the darkness of silence. Let the resounding truth be found in your heart's confessions, evoking confidence in the words you have given life to.

The sun felt warm through the car’s sunroof, and the breeze stirred my hair. It seemed like an ideal autumn day for a drive, but the morning’s tranquility didn’t last long.

A blaring horn split the air, and an out-of-control car peeled around the corner and veered into our lane. My husband’s reflexes kicked in, and he swerved to avoid the careening vehicle—narrowly avoiding driving into the river that bordered the road on the right side.

My heart felt like it would explode, and I could barely catch my breath, even after we continued down the country road. I glanced at my husband, and our wide eyes met. He took a ragged breath, glanced upward, and said reverently, “Thank you, Lord, for preserving us from that accident.”

Just how fine is the line between life and death, between heaven and earth? Well, the double yellow line is approximately fifteen inches thin.

Author Timothy Pina said, “There’s a thin line between life and death. It’s God’s grace that shows us how fragile we are.” We understand that fragility. David did, too, when King Saul attempted to kill him.

A pickup truck crossed the double yellow line and hit our friend’s motorcycle head-on. He spent two weeks balancing the tightrope between heaven and earth and had a long road of recovery ahead of him.

If there truly is a thin line between life and death, how then shall we live? Should we live in fear, or is there another way to live? An accident—or even a near-miss—is frightening, but we don’t need to spend every moment looking over our shoulders for threats.

We can live to (or in) the Lord, having committed our lives to Him. Then, we can purpose to honor Jesus in our lives, whether by life or by death.

Have you contemplated living with Jesus now? Your decision will place you on one side or the other of the thin line between eternity with Him or death apart from Him.

Once, a girl who was a big golf champion for her state went to a Christian school. A teacher told the other students to be nice to her because she was a new student. After all, they were Christians themselves. 

The girls and one of the teachers invited her to be on their golf team, and she agreed to play.  However, she didn’t like any of the golf teacher’s instructions because she already knew everything there was to know about golf—at least, it sure seemed so since she was the state golf champion. 

Eventually, she discovered she would have a baby out of wedlock. This broke her pride, which led her to refuse to thank anyone for anything. Finally, she told her parents she was going to have a baby and that she was thinking about having an abortion.

Thankfully, she eventually got saved after losing some games. She became so humble that when recognized as the school golf team’s champion, she turned down the recognition and gave the award to someone else. 

If we’re not careful, we can all have pride. It is the mother of all sins because it is the sin the Devil had in his heart that made God kick him out of heaven. Pride can keep us from getting into heaven if we’re not careful. It can slither into our hearts without us knowing it.

But we don’t need to feel condemned all the time. We can ask God to show us daily whether we have pride in our hearts. If we do, we can repent of whatever pride He shows us. 

Don’t let pride ruin your life and service to God.  

Before the beginning, darkness filled the silent, lonely space. Looking out into the vast chasm of nothingness, void of purpose and companionship, God the Creator imagined, considered, and dreamed of all the possibilities of what He could make.

Then He chose, plotted, and planned. He made something out of nothing, creating the universe with His words. He said, “Let there be,” and it was. Light burst forth. Stars hung in the sky. Planets circled the earth. Land formed into mountains, hills, and plains. Water poured into seas, rivers, and lakes. Plants grew. Clouds made shapes, snow, and rain. The wind whispered and wailed. The sun shone brightly during the day, and the moon at night.

Animals came alive. Humans too. Nature stood marked with the Maker’s fingerprints of purpose on every square inch of the world. Then the Creator gazed at what He had made and loved what He saw. It was beautiful.

All of creation is a product of God’s powerful words. He created all things according to His greatness, goodness, and wisdom to display His awesome wonder perfectly. Each time He speaks, what He commands is manifested.

Not only did God’s words have the power to create the universe at the beginning of time, they also have the power to transform and redirect our lives when we need a new beginning. Amid our darkness, emptiness, and isolation, He can revive, encourage, and direct us onto a path that breathes new life and purpose into our weary souls. 

Do you need a new beginning of God’s grace, love, and empowerment? The same God who made you and everything in the universe is looking down from heaven today and observing your life. Ask Him to speak something new into you, then partner with Him and watch His powerful words manifest the goodness and beauty He desires for your fresh start.  

Snow White. A gruesome story. A wicked queen and a pure, innocent girl who wins out in the end. All the in-between stuff is Snow White’s story of the queen trying to kill herself, her trials with others, and overcoming evil. In fact, the whole story is about how good triumphs over evil.

I wonder why it’s called Snow White and not something like Baby Blue or Peach Purple? White represents righteousness and symbolizes purity. Snow, on the other hand, depicts the color white. Snow is also used several times in the Bible as a metaphor or simile.

Good and evil are present in our world. Reading Genesis tells us how evil arrived in this world, and reading Revelation tells us how good will triumph over evil. But there’s a whole lot in between that refers to us.

The next time fluffy white snow is softly falling and you’re watching it cover our world, making it look like a clean new place, take time to read God’s story. Be amazed at God’s love for you. Ask Him to remind you that He has made your sins as white as snow. And remember to thank Him for how it will all turn out.