Thou Breath from still eternity

Forgetting all created things, remembering only “God in me. ”

Recently, I feel like I always choose my own wild way to do, to say whatever I want, it indeed is natural and wild, Lord, may I obey to Your tiny gentle voice in me always, that I won’t choose my own wild way.

Oh! The river flows not in vain!

Thank You Lord for breathing, springing, flowing, blossoming, keeping, teaching, striving, praying, streaming and living.

Within You I also obey, wait, drink, turn, forsake, forget and remember.

Lord, breathe on our spirit.

Like this song, new to me but the words came to me like penetrating into my soul. God bless the writers.

This hymn was written in German by Gerhard Tersteegen (1697-1769), a German reformed Christian writer and preacher. It was translated by Frances Bevan (1827-1909).

Stanza one tells us that God, the Great I Am Who I Am, as the Spirit, breathes into us to enliven us (“the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty has enlivened me” Job 33:4). Hallelujah! Our deadened spirit, once the barren land (desert sand) with no life and no fruit has been regenerated! Now, up springs the Pine tree and the Myrtle tree. (“In place of the thornbush, the fir tree will come up; in place of the brier, the myrtle tree will come up…. Isa. 55:13a. Some translate the fir as the pine, cypress, or juniper). The Pine tree grows by shooting upwards towards the heavens. The Fir tree never grows old, is an evergreen, signifying God in His freshness (“I am like a green fir tree” Hos. 14:8). The Myrtle tree is small, growing in the bottoms, signifying Israel in captivity. We are often so low down, in captivity, but Christ is riding on and standing among us, praying and interceding for us, to bring us out, and into the full enjoyment of Himself (cf. Zech. Ch. 1).

Christ, the smitten rock in Horeb (Exo. 17:6), the crucified One whose pierced side flowed out water for imparting life, overcoming death, and producing the church (John 19:34), is the fountain of life (Psa. 36:9a), the spring of the water of life (Rev. 21:6b). By continually enjoying Christ as the never-ending supply of living water, “the wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the desert will exult and blossom like the rose” (Isa. 35:1), “…for water will break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert” (Isa. 35:6b).

Tersteegen was one surely constituted with the Word, to be able to quote so much scripture in one little stanza. By singing this wonderful hymn, may we be encouraged to continually exercise our spirit to breathe in the Spirit, so that in the mingled spirit we may not only be in the good land, but also enjoy all the riches of this good land, Christ!

We are dead in our flesh, but we are made alive through the spirit! How awesome it is that we as believers can breath God in as our only source.

"Thy living Stream, thy gracious Rain, none wait for these and wait in vain." God washes away our sins and transgressions whenever we open to Him. Wash and cleanse me right now Lord!

There is no other source that we can be satisfied. It is only the living spring that flows even in the desert land...and the water that I shall be given to him shall be rivers of living water, welling up into eternal life. Lord Jesus, we are weary and thirsty to come to You as the fountain of living water.

This ever fresh hymn is what refreshes me and supplies with the Riches of our dear Lord Jesus. Also the comments that I have read made my spirit and my soul happy and whole in the Lord. Those saints' sharing and Scripture quotes have watered and nourished my being during my morning watch. Thank you for your sharing.

I love you Lord, and particularly for You being the fountain of living waters gushing up in us and for us. Lord may we never forsake You, may we always turn to You to drink of You.