Something Greater (Part 3)

(I am currently posting "Something Greater". Check back for the final exciting installment tomorrow!)

3) Receive the Breath of God

Ezekiel 37:9, “Then he said to me, Speak to the winds and say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so that they may live again.”

We have already observed step number one, when our scattered dry bones became perfectly connected skeletons. Then those skeletons were covered with muscle and skin, taking on the proper form of a human body. They still were not finished however-they had no life! If we could see the vision how Ezekiel saw it, the valley would still look rather like a morgue and not really the kind of place we would want to hang out in! So God instructed Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind to come and breathe into these dead bodies.

In the Scriptures, wind and breath always represent the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1, it was the Spirit of God that moved upon the waters to bring about order to the formless mass of the world; in Genesis 2, it was the Spirit of God that breathed into Adam to bring him to life; and in Acts 2, it was the Spirit of God that came into the upper room like a mighty rushing wind! Of course, it was that same Holy Spirit who breathed into these dead bodies to bring them to life, and it is the exact same Holy Spirit who desires to breathe into your heart today!

So we see clearly that the third step to entering into God’s greater is to receive a fresh touch from His Holy Spirit. If you have not been initially baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, cry out to God today for this glorious experience. And if you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, cry out to God for more of His glorious presence in your life. Ephesians 5:18 instructs us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit-however much of the Holy Spirit’s power, anointing and glory you have received, there is more that He can give you. We all need the Holy Spirit’s constant touch to bring us to life.

In John 20:22, Jesus breathed on His disciples and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Why did He give them this instruction, telling them to “receive” the Holy Spirit? It must mean they had a choice-if they had wanted to, they could have rejected the gift! You see, there is nothing we can do to earn the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or an increase in His anointing. It is a gift, not something that we deserve. However, that does not mean that we have no part to play in receiving-we still have to make the choice to accept what is being given to us! When the Holy Spirit is being poured out, we need to make the choice to open our hearts and allow Him inside.

If my long-lost uncle came to me one day to give me a check for one million dollars, what would happen if I refused to open my hands, zipped up all of my pockets, and ran away from him as quickly as possible? I would miss out on the free, undeserved gift. In the same way, if we close our hearts and resist the Holy Spirit, He will not force Himself upon us. So today, let’s make the choice to always receive what He wants to give to us, to open our hearts and open our mouths and pray, “Lord, breathe into me that I might live. Give me new life by Your Spirit!”