There is a Rabbinical saying that “God doesn’t waste ink.” Among the many things this means, one is that there are no coincidences in Scripture. God has chosen specific words and phrases to reveal God’s self to us. I love this because it shows just how much depth there is to God’s revelation. While you can spend countless hours studying an entire story or passage of the Bible, sometimes there is just as much to explore in a single word. Nowhere is this truer than with the Hebrew word Ruach.
Ruach (which we have shortened to Ruah for our site, kind of our own version of the word) is the Hebrew word for breath, spirit, and wind. It appears in the Old Testament nearly 400 times! The fact that God chose one word to reveal so many different things to us is amazing and has some fascinating implications.
For example, Ruach is used in Genesis in the creation story where we are told that, “the Spirit (Ruach) of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2 ESV). In this case, it’s referring to God’s self in the act of creation. At the same time, it’s used in a passage such as Job 12 that says, “In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath (Ruach) of all mankind” (Job 12:10 ESV). Here Ruach is used to describe the very breath of each and every human being.
We all know that when we are born, one of the first things we must do is take a breath, and that as soon as we stop breathing, we die. Psalm 104 makes this point when it says, “when you take away their breath (Ruach), they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your Spirit (Ruach), they are created” (Psalm 104:29-30 ESV). When God sends us the Ruach or the Spirit/breath, we live! When the Spirit/breath is taken away, we die. So, the same word is used over and over throughout Scripture to refer both to our physical breath and to the Spirit of God!
In the New Testament, Ruach is translated in the Greek as pneuma, such as when Jesus says on the cross, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Ruach/Pneuma)!” (Luke 23:46 ESV). Luke tells us that immediately after saying this, Jesus breathed his last breath. Wow! Coincidence that right after Jesus commits His spirit to God, He breathed his last breath? No way!
There is a deep connection in our lives between our physical breath, our spirit, and the Spirit of God. By linking our breath and God’s Spirit so close together, it’s clear that God wants us to realize just how close He is to us. God is literally sustaining each and every breath we take. It’s a conscious effort on the part of God to provide us with life-sustaining breath and spirit, each and every moment. As long as God sustains this breath and provides His Spirit, we live.
God is literally sustaining each and every breath we take.
This is beautiful because it means that no matter what we are going through in life, God is close. It’s sometimes difficult to find God. It can feel like God is far off, has abandoned us, or has forgotten about us. This is especially true when we are struggling through a difficult time in life. The truth is, however, God is as close as the breath in your lungs this very moment. The breath you are breathing right now is only possible because God is intentionally present and offering it to you.
At Ruah Space, we desire to journey with you as we make space to get in touch with God who is present all around us and in us. God desires a deep, intimate relationship with us, but it’s so easy to get distracted in life and miss this reality. We feel like we don’t hear from God or we can’t find God. What we have discovered is that the Scriptures and the Christian tradition are full of ways for us to make space to reconnect with the Ruach, with our breath, with God’s Spirit. And by doing so, reconnect with the life God created us for. A life full of joy, peace, purpose, and legacy.
We will enter into such space through Bible studies, spiritual disciplines and practices, and explorations into all areas of life. After all, if God is as close as our breath, and if God created everything good, then there isn’t any area of life that isn’t spiritual, that isn’t connected to our life in and with God. So join us as we dive into the beauty of Ruach, into making space for the Spirit!
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Beautiful and refreshing words. I stumbled across this site because I was researching the name ruah/ruach.
Thank you! We are so glad you found us. We hope you find something that blesses and encourages you. Let us know how we can help!
Hi. I heard the words Ruah whilst I was being prayed for after having been discharged from hospital after suffering from Covid.
My wife, Sushma Govender is still in Intensive Care Unit of Midstream hospital.
When I was able to see my wife at the ICU. I prayed that the Breath of God will flow through her lungs. I prayed a similar prayer when my Son Cole was in distress during the birthing process.
On that occasion God performed an instantaneous miracle because immediately after I had said Amen, the entire birth process changed. My son was born, perfectly well and my wife was fine.
I believe that the Ruah of God is going to overtake my wife’s lungs,to cause her to be Healed
We await her speedy recovery because the Ruah of God is all powerful and will change every situation.
Pragasen Govender
Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa
+27827782814
pragasengov711@gmail.com