In an earlier post, we looked at the function of our lungs in providing the oxygen we need to survive. What we didn’t address is the nature of the air that fills our lungs.

The air that we breathe is composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen. The carbon dioxide that we exhale is only .03% of the atmosphere. The thin envelope of gases that surrounds the earth might be compared to the skin of an onion. The densest portion is at the surface as a result of the earth’s gravity. At greater altitude, the air becomes so thin that breathing normally cannot collect enough oxygen to survive.

Our atmosphere protects us from harmful solar radiation and burns up incoming space debris that otherwise might create havoc. Clouds of water vapor hover at just the right height to transport life-giving water that sustains plant growth in otherwise dry areas. That plant growth returns the favor by creating oxygen and food. The movement of air over the planet’s surface provides the weather fluctuations that maintain a temperate climate that allow us to survive.

The density of air near the earth’s surface allows aircraft to transport us across vast distances at incredible speeds.

As we seek proof of the existence of a Creator, some of that evidence fuels our thoughts with every breath we take. Certainly, there is speculation and evidence that our atmosphere was produced and refined as the earth cooled and matured over billions of years, but that does not exclude the intentional work of God. With unlimited power and unlimited time, God could choose any tools He desired to design our home.

The cycle and combination of miracles related to our atmosphere is so complex and interconnected that it becomes impossible to deny that the hand of God directs these elements. Subtract any one of the miracles of the air that we breathe, and the entire process would unravel.

Remember that the next time you feel “out of breath.”