“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7.
Body cells keep us alive by performing their various functions. To do this they need a constant supply of oxygen, which begins when a breath is taken. As the air passes through the nose, it is warmed and moistened. If foreign particles are present they are stopped by little hairs called cilia. Sneezing or blowing the nose clears out these particles, assuring that air reaching the lungs is clean.
When a breath is taken, the lungs expand. Then, in about two seconds, they contract and the air is expelled. This takes place about fifteen or twenty times a minute. Getting a sufficient quantity of oxygen from this air and into the bloodstream is the main function of the lungs. This is why they need fresh, clean air free of smoke and dust to maintain good health.
The lungs, when expanded, have a surface of about two square feet for the air to pass over, but this is not enough to take care of their work. When God designed man’s lungs, He wisely added to the lung capacity without making that organ huge and bulky. He did this by forming blood channels ending in tiny sacs all over the lining of the lung. There are about 600 million of these sacs which increase the lung capacity to 600 square feet, which is 300 times the capacity of the lungs alone! Each one of these tiny sacs brings blood to its surface. In the two seconds that air flows over these sacs, oxygen is removed from the blood. This enriched blood moves on to the heart and is pumped throughout the whole body.
The lungs not only take oxygen cut of the incoming air, but also remove carbon dioxide from the blood. This carbon dioxide is a product of the body-cell processes and must be removed. The blood carries it to the lungs where it is expelled by the lung’s exhaling action.
Only God could design and make our wonderful bodies and their remarkable details, which are exactly the same today as when He created Adam in the garden of Eden.
This entire process goes on without our thinking about it (except, perhaps, when we have a cold and have difficulty breathing). God, “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10), is always aware of everything pertaining to our lives. Have you ever thanked Him for His goodness in watching over you so carefully? “Let every thins that hath breath praise the Lord.” Psalms 150:6.
ML-11/16/1980