And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.” Genesis 1:6–8. The area immediately above the planet, known as the atmosphere, was created on the second day, and it is made up of approximately 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and 1 percent other gasses. It is within this atmosphere that we live and breathe. Above the atmosphere are the planets, stars, and unnumbered galaxies, and somewhere within this great expanse of God’s creation is heaven.
God continued to speak the rest of our world into existence, and His crowning act was the creation of man. Man was not spoken into existence as was the rest of creation, but God formed him of the dust of the ground. It was with His very hands that He lovingly made man. After this act of love, God Himself initiated the first breath by breathing into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). Man can survive for weeks without food and days without water, but only minutes without breathing the oxygen which surrounds the world.
Every body function that is carried on is directly related to the life of the cells, which are the basic units of every part of the body. Without oxygen, cells die within three to four minutes. Not only will cells die when there is no oxygen, but they do not perform well, are damaged, and disease can result. It is critical to make sure there is plenty of fresh air in the work place, in the home and in the bedroom while sleeping at night.
The energy required for the body to function comes from the breakdown and utilization of the food we eat, and that food is not properly utilized when there is inadequate oxygen. When food is broken down, glucose is formed and stored for quick utilization by the body. In an oxygen rich environment, each molecule of glucose will produce approximately 36 molecules of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the molecule used by the body for energy. When the body is working to produce energy in the absence of adequate oxygen, only two molecules of ATP are created from glucose. Is it any wonder that we feel tired if we are lacking in oxygen?
In order to have adequate oxygen available for cellular health and use, there must be good circulation. “Perfect health requires perfect circulation.” The Ministry of Healing, 293. “The life of the flesh is in the blood.” Leviticus 17:11. Without oxygen-rich blood circulating freely to every cell in the body, perfect health is just a fleeting dream and cannot be attained.