Ryan Daffron

“Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” — Genesis 2:7

SOUNDING

Genesis gives us the creation story twice; once in chapter 1 with a wide-angle, cosmic view, and again in chapter 2 with a slow, close-up focus. The first account shows God’s power: He speaks and galaxies appear. The second shows His nearness: He forms humanity with His hands and breathes His own life into us. The repetition isn’t redundancy; it’s emphasis. God wants us to see both His majesty and His intimacy.

Genesis 2 intentionally slows the frame. Instead of oceans forming or stars burning into existence, we see God in the dirt, shaping humanity with intention and care. The breath you’re using right now might feel automatic, but it is upheld by the same God who knelt in the dust to give life. You weren’t spoken into existence like everything else, you were formed, touched, shaped, and filled with God’s breath. Your life isn’t disposable, your value isn’t negotiable, and your existence isn’t accidental.

So when you feel worn thin or drained, remember this: the God who breathed life into humanity in Eden is still sustaining you today. You matter because He made you personally. Carry yourself with that truth because it’s real, and it’s steady.

BEARING

Every breath you take reminds you God is closer than you realize.

Prayer

Lord, Author of life, breathe new strength into the parts of me that feel tired or empty.

DROP IN

Take three slow breaths. With each one, remind yourself: “God formed me. God sustains me. God is with me.” Let this reset your sense of worth and grounding today.