We have discussed many topics and much content relating to the words “God is the source of life for all things,” but do you know in your hearts what things God bestows on mankind, apart from providing you with His word and performing on you His work of chastisement and judgment? Some people might say, “God bestows on me grace and blessings; He gives me discipline and comfort, and He gives me care and protection in every possible way.” Others will say, “God bestows on me daily food and drink,” while some will even say, “God has bestowed everything on me.” You might respond to those issues people encounter in their daily lives in a way that relates to the scope of your own, fleshly life experience. God bestows many things on each person, though what we are discussing here is not limited only to the scope of people’s daily needs, but is meant to expand each person’s field of view and let you see things from a macro perspective. Since God is the source of life for all things, how does He maintain the life of all things? In other words, what does God give to all things of His creation to maintain their existence and the laws underpinning it, so that they may continue to exist? That is the main point of our discussion today. Do you understand what I have said? This topic might be very unfamiliar to you, but I will not talk about any doctrines that are too profound. I will strive to make sure you can listen to My words and gain understanding from them. You need not feel any burden—all you have to do is listen carefully. However, at this point, I must emphasize once more: What is the topic I am speaking about? Tell Me. (God Is the Source of Life for All Things.) How then does God provide for all things? What does He provide to all things so it can be said that “God is the source of life for all things”? Do you have any concepts or thoughts about this? It seems I am discussing a topic that is almost completely unknown to you, in your hearts and in your minds. But I hope you can connect this topic and what I will say to God’s deeds, rather than to any knowledge, human culture, or research. I am talking only about God, about God Himself. This is My suggestion to you. I am sure you understand, right?

God has bestowed many things on mankind. I will begin by talking about what people can see, that is, what they can feel. These are things people can accept and understand in their hearts. So first, let us begin by talking about what God has provided to mankind with a discussion of the material world.

1. Air

First, God created air so that man may breathe. Air is a substance with which humans can make daily contact and it is a thing on which humans rely from moment to moment, even as they sleep. The air that God created is monumentally important for humankind: It is essential to their every breath and to life itself. This substance, which can only be felt but not seen, was God’s first gift to all the things of His creation. But after creating air, did God stop, considering His work finished? Or did He consider how dense air would be? Did He consider what air would contain? What was God thinking when He made air? Why did God make air, and what was His reasoning? Humans need air—they need to breathe. Firstly, the density of air should be fit for human lungs. Does anyone know the density of air? In truth, there is no particular need for people to know the answer to this question in terms of numbers or data, and indeed, it is quite unnecessary to know the answer—it is perfectly adequate to have only a general idea. God made air with a density that would be most suitable for human lungs to breathe. That is, He made air so that it may readily enter human bodies through their breath, and so that it will not do harm to the body as it breathes. These were God’s considerations when He made air. Next, we will talk about what air contains. Its contents are not poisonous to humans and will not damage the lungs or any part of the body. God had to consider all of this. God had to consider that the air humans breathe should enter and exit the body smoothly, and that, after being inhaled, the nature and quantity of the substances within air should be such that the blood, as well as the waste air in the lungs and the body as a whole, would be properly metabolized. Moreover, He had to consider that the air should not contain any poisonous substances. My aim in telling you about these two standards for air is not to feed you any particular knowledge, but to show you that God created every single thing within His creation in accordance with His own considerations, and everything He created is the best it could be. Furthermore, as for the amount of dust in the air; and the amount of dust, sand and dirt upon the earth; as well as the amount of dust that drifts down to the earth from the sky—God has His ways for managing these things, too, ways of clearing them away or causing them to disintegrate. While there is a certain quantity of dust, God made it so that dust would not harm man’s body or endanger man’s breathing, and He made the dust particles of a size that would not be harmful to the body. Was God’s creation of the air not a mystery? Was it a simple thing, like blowing a breath of air from His mouth? (No.) Even in His creation of the simplest things, God’s mystery, the workings of His mind, His way of thinking, and His wisdom are all apparent. Is God not practical? (Yes, He is.) What this means is that even in creating simple things, God was thinking of humanity. Firstly, the air humans breathe is clean, and its contents are suitable for humans to breathe, not poisonous and causing no harm to humans; in the same way, the density of air is suited for human breathing. This air, which humans constantly inhale and exhale, is essential to the human body, the human flesh. This is why humans may breathe freely, without constraint or worry. They can thus breathe normally. Air is that which God created in the beginning, and that which is indispensable for human breathing.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VIII