What is colorless, tasteless and invisible? Oxygen, and it is essential for almost all living things-including people. Even fish need oxygen, and the Creator has provided them with gills to absorb oxygen from water.
Oxygen is important for many things. Hospitals use it every day to help save lives of seriously ill people or victims of accidents. Also, without it there could be no fire in your fireplace or furnace, no pure water to drink, and almost every living thing on earth would die.
With all this demand for oxygen, is there the danger that it may run out? No. The Creator well knew how much of this element would be needed to sustain all forms of life, and He provided an abundant supply when the world was created. He also planned for oxygen renewal.
Incidentally, if oxygen and hydrogen (which are the two elements of water) are separated from each other and exposed to fire, they would instantly make the fire burn more fiercely. But here is something amazing: When they are combined in the form of water and applied to a fire in a large enough quantity, they extinguish the fire! This is another wonderful provision of the Creator for the safety of humanity.
God, our Creator, has arranged a remarkable partnership between people and plants. People must have oxygen; plants must have carbon dioxide. The Creator designed each to supply what the other needs to maintain life.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air, which they need to live, and release oxygen into the air, which we need to live. For us to inhale this oxygen-enriched air into our lungs, we must first exhale carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide, harmful to our bodies, is exactly what trees and other vegetation need to live.
Let us always remember that our oxygen comes from trees and other plants of the world. We must be careful to avoid unnecessary destruction of plants - our only source of life- sustaining oxygen.
The Bible verse at the beginning of this article speaks of using our breath to praise the Lord. Have you ever thanked Him for His marvelous plan of salvation, as well as His amazing provisions for us in creation? Another psalm expresses it, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:22Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: (Psalm 103:2)).
ML-08/03/2003