What a marvelous thing the human body is, designed by our Creator, who makes no mistakes. Let's look at the part the nose, mouth and throat take in the life of each of us, for it is through them that air for our lungs and food for our stomachs reach the vital parts of the body where further miraculous things take place.
The nose certainly is easy to see, but it is much more complex than it appears, for it is made up of a combination of parts working together in harmony. It is used principally to breathe in air, but functions in other ways as well, including the smelling of a rose or other object and assisting in improving the taste of food.
Medical people refer to the nose as a nasal cavity, made up of two nostrils, divided by the septum. The hairs inside, which we sometimes think of as a nuisance, are extremely important, for their job is to filter incoming air, picking out bacteria, dust and other impurities that would be harmful to our lungs. The soft inner lining of the nose, like the rest of the airway, contains many small glands which secrete mucus onto the surface. Also, the surface is covered with short, hair-like projections which beat rhythmically in a special direction. These automatically sweep out accumulated mucus with its collection of filtered impurities, sending them on to the stomach, which knows how to dispose of them.
Helping the hairs do their work, sinuses, located above the nose, drop small amounts of mucus into each nostril to moisten them and aid in the filtering process. Part of this moisture from the mucus is passed on to the air just breathed, which is also warmed in the nose so it will be just right for the lungs. The sinuses located above and beside the nose also assist in this task.
Of course there are times when, bothered with a bad cold, it is difficult to breathe through the nose and we have to get air through the mouth. That is a wonderful provision of the Creator, for otherwise we wouldn't get enough air under such conditions to keep us alive. However, breathing through the nose best prepares the air for the lungs.
As our opening verse expresses, the very first breath that gave life to Adam was breathed into his nostrils by the Lord God. This was not true of any other creature, and mankind has always had a special place in God's thoughts.
When He reads your heart, does He find that you have special thoughts toward Him, too? He has done so much for you in providing His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be your Savior if you will only trust in Him. Your thoughts should indeed be of thankfulness and acceptance of His wondrous gift of salvation.