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24 How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. 26 There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. 27 All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. 30 When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. 31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works— 32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. 35 But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the LORD, my soul. (Psalm 104:24-34, 35b NIV)
Remember trying to hold your breath longer than your sister and/or brothers? We didn't know what the point was of such a challenge, but it was fun until you reached the point where an intake of air might be a great idea! Then the challenge moved to the pool; and funny how instead of enjoying water in a pool for swimming we felt the need to hold our breath under the water. And guess how it ends? Yes, again, taking an intake of air is what we needed to stay alive. The interesting thing about breath is the role is plays throughout the Bible. When God made the man God breathed into his hostrils the breath of life, and when it concerns the Holy Spirit, it's about breath. In the Upper Room when Jesus first visited the disciples after His resurrection, He breahted on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." And on the Day of Pentecost, the rush of wind was how He arrived. Yet, it's different in this Psalm. The writer invites us to have a view of a quieter, yet equally powerful arrival of the Holy Spirit. Here, He's not only the force that empowers speech but the very breath of creation, the renewing life of the world.
The psalmist stands in awe of a world teeming with life: mountains, trees, birds, lions, and Leviathan—each sustained by God’s hand. Beneath the poetic language is a foundational truth: God’s Spirit animates everything. When He sends His breath, life begins again.
This is Pentecost through the lens of creation. It is not only about a sudden spiritual event in Jerusalem, but about God’s ongoing act of renewal. Just as creation bursts into being through the Spirit, so the Church is born and continually renewed by that same Spirit.
And here’s the beauty: what God breathes into the world, He also breathes into us.
Have you ever stood in nature and simply breathed deeply? That peace, that awe—that’s not just a feeling. It’s a reminder of the presence of the Spirit that hovered over the waters in Genesis and filled the house in Acts 2.
Psalm 104 is a hymn of holy wonder. It reminds us that Pentecost is not a one-time celebration—it’s the rhythm of God bringing dead places back to life. We’re invited to not only witness it but to join in: to be signs of renewal, healing, and joy in a weary world.
PRAYER: Creator God, your Spirit gives life to all things. Breathe into us again this Pentecost. Where we are tired, renew us. Where we are scattered, gather us. Where we are dry, pour out your Spirit. May your glory endure forever, and may we sing your praise all our days. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This Pentecost, step outside. Breathe deeply. Notice creation. Then ask: where can I be part of God’s renewing Spirit today? Let that breath move you.
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.