WEEKLY PURSUIT with Ryan

Helping you pursue God, people, and purpose - one step at a time.

Hey friend,

Have you ever worked really hard on something... only to realize that no matter how much effort you put into it, you simply couldn't produce the outcome you were hoping for?

I've been reminded this week that there are some things only God can do.

In the Old Testament, one of the words used for the Spirit of God is ruah. It's a beautiful word that means breath or wind.

It's the breath that hovered over creation.

It's the breath that filled Adam with life.

It's the breath that rushed through the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel and brought what was dead back to life.

Over and over again throughout Scripture, the breath of God accomplishes what human effort never could.

And honestly, I think we forget that sometimes.

We can spend so much of our lives trying to manufacture spiritual growth. Trying to fix people we love. Trying to force opportunities. Trying to control outcomes. Trying to build ministries, families, careers, and lives through sheer determination.

Hard work matters.
Faithfulness matters.
Obedience matters.

But at the end of the day, we desperately need the breath of God.

Because only the Holy Spirit can soften a hard heart.
Only the Holy Spirit can bring dead things back to life.
Only the Holy Spirit can convict, heal, restore, and transform.

That's why before we rush into another meeting, another conversation, another decision, or another day, maybe our first prayer should simply be:

"God... breathe on this."

Breathe on my marriage.
Breathe on my kids.
Breathe on my workplace.
Breathe on my church.
Breathe on the conversation I'm about to have.
Breathe on the dreams You've placed in my heart.
Breathe on me.
Because His presence is what makes the difference.

Without His breath, we're just working harder.

With His breath, He can accomplish infinitely more than we ever could on our own.

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)

Weekly Resources

Better Priesthood

Better | Week 4

The writer of Hebrews challenges us not to settle for spiritual complacency but to grow into maturity. Together, we took an honest look at our hearts, confessed the sin that keeps us from experiencing the fullness of life in Christ, and turned back to Jesus in repentance.

Available on Youtube