Archives for July 2019

July 16, 2019 by smattern Leave a Comment

Come to the Burden-Bearer

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

Just a Closer Walk with Thee
By: Anonymous

Listen as you read. This is a great gospel guitar version.

We swing the pendulum back to Just a Closer Walk with Thee and turn our focus to cultivating an awareness of God’s presence with us through all the different circumstances of life. Because this stanza asks two huge questions which are both answered in the closing line, I want to begin with the latter half so we answer the question today and not allow it to linger from Tuesday to Thursday unanswered. Let’s tune our hearts.

Burdens

First let us establish that we all have burdens. They vary at different points in our lives, different stages, and change in their intensity and duration, but burdens are universal. We all have them.

So the hymn strikes a chord with every honest soul. We have all wondered what the answer to this question is at times. There are seasons when we are confident that at least a few of the people closest to us would rally to our aid, but there are also times when each of us feels like the figure above. At least a little hopeless. Weary from the struggle of carrying our burden, we drop it to the ground and take a seat to rest and ask the question again. Who will share this burden with me?

What’s Inside?

What does your burden look like today?

I imagine you do not have to think long or hard. It probably is plain and simple.

How are you managing that burden today?

Maybe you are muddling through. Maybe you are handling it, sort of. Maybe you are completely overwhelmed.

Jesus will help you. Do you know that? If you do, do you practice it? That is to say, do you take your burdens to Jesus and ask for help? If so, good. If not, why not?

Maybe it is because you are not fully convinced that Jesus will actually help you with your burden. Oh sure, you have faith enough to believe He would help others, but you remain unconvinced that He would help you. So let’s take a few moments and put that to rest. And there really is the key. Rest.

Shared

You are not alone. Jesus is with you and wants to help you with your burden. Consider a couple Scriptures.

Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

So your responsibility is simply to cast your burden on the Lord. What does He do in return? Sustains you. Did you notice how the focus shifted first from the burden to the Lord, then to His work in you, not so much with the burden? That is a very important realization.

Take a few moments and ask the Holy Spirit to help you cast your burden on Him.

Now get ready. An incredible exchange is about to take place as we take Jesus at His word.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

Jesus invites all the weary and heavy laden to come to Him and find rest. Sounds good so far right. But wait, He then encourages us to take His burden, in the form of a yoke which represents His teaching, and encourages a life which reflects His, resulting in, yep, rest.

How does that work exactly? Well, most burdens look a lot like the ones the person is carrying here. Even the ones we craft for ourselves are often unwieldy. And when we let others add to them the situation quickly becomes unmanageable, even for he strongest among us. His burden actually ushers in rest. How so? His burden is light, as opposed to all others which are not.

And what does His burden look like? Probably a whole lot like a cross. Why do I say that? Because that is how Jesus described the burden we should carry.

And he (Jesus) said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 (ESV)

And He carried it first. He set the example for us. He carried the weight the Father had marked out for Him. So we can with confidence do the same.

None But Thee

Who will share your burden? None but Thee.

Emphatic repetition. None but Thee.

While this at first may seem like a bit of a downer. it is simply the honest truth of God’s faithfulness as it compares to the faithfulness of any and every other entity, well-intentioned or not. God will help us bear our burden, and lift us when we falter, but more on the latter on Thursday. I hope you will come back and tune with us again, but for today make certain to enjoy the resources below which are companions to these Tunings.

Restful Tuning!

Jesus, I know You will help me bear my burdens. You have done it before and I am confident you will do it again. You are faithful and so I entrust my life, burdens and all into your gracious care. In Jesus name. Amen.

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Subscribers enjoy this video! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Video 7.2 Transcript

Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

What an apt description of this weary word through which we wander. What difficulties and traps are you facing today? Ask Jesus to reveal them, and help you through each one.

I have a friend who likes to quip “Nobody cares” when people ask “How are you doing?” While I generally take issue with him on this, the hymn writer seems to be agreeing with that sad assessment. Ask God to help you be honest, especially when you are crying out to Him.

God can handle even the toughest questions. He may not make His answer quick or obvious, but even asking Him the questions is a demonstration of your faith in action. What tough questions do you need to ask God today?

We can cast our cares on Him, because He cares for us. He will never turn us away. Even when we are not faithful, He is. Give your burdens to Him right now and be confident He will share them with you.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.

Sing

Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.

Image Attributions
Burdens – https://pixabay.com/photos/holzfigur-stones-hopeless-stranded-980802/
What’s Inside? – https://pixabay.com/vectors/bag-sack-jute-brown-goods-156120/
Weary – https://pixabay.com/photos/boxes-cardboard-carrying-overload-2624231/
Take Up Your Cross – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-christ-cross-cross-carry-1248835/

July 11, 2019 by smattern Leave a Comment

Made Whole By Love From Above

I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in
And then a little light from heaven filled my soul
He bathed my heart in love and He wrote my name above
And just a little talk with Jesus makes me whole

Just a Little Talk with Jesus
By: Cleavant Derricks (1909-1977)

Listen as you read. This is an updated version of this old hymn.

On Tuesday we continued our walking and talking journey with Jesus by remembering how He took us in and filled our souls with light when we were lost in sin. It is so easy to move past that conversation with Jesus and forget how significant it was, but that talk leads to other ones. Let’s think about this.

Bathed in Love

God took the initiative in our redemption, and we responded. He continues to take initiative and we continue to respond, or at least we should. Jesus is always reaching out to us. He wants to talk with us because He knows that a little talk with Him makes us whole.

When He took us in, He granted us access to the throne of grace. He bathed our hearts in love so we would have confidence to approach Him whenever we have a need. And we have need of Him always.

Think of a time when you called out to Jesus. Often we cry out in desperation, sometimes because we have tried every other remedy and nothing else worked. As a last resort we turn to Jesus.

What a difference it would make if we would instead choose to talk to Jesus first. Unfortunately, we tend to talk to ourselves, or others before we go to the One who has the remedy. Little talks with Jesus are exactly what we need, and precisely what He has offered to us. His love ensures us that He is for us. So let’s avail ourselves of that access and learn the blessing of talking to Jesus all the time.

Wrote My Name Above

What better expression of love could there be than having our names written in the Lamb’s book of life? We have that access because we have been accepted on the merit of Christ. The effect of Jesus taking us in, filling our souls with light, and bathing our hearts in love is that we are pardoned.

When was the last time you thought about this reality, that your name has been written in the book of life? When was the last time you talked to Jesus about that? Why not talk to Him right now?

Tell Him how if makes you feel to know you have been pardoned of all your sins and have an eternal home with Jesus. Tell Him what you think about when you try to imagine what that existence will be like, forever in His presence. Ask Him to help you spend little more time thinking about that, and a little less time thinking about all the things that normally consume your mental processes.

Hopefully that little talk just now oriented you a little differently toward all the things you are facing today. Hopefully that little talk ushered in an awareness of the wholeness that is your eternal inheritance, beginning that moment you had that first little talk with Jesus. Can you recall that?

Made Whole

On Tuesday in the video log I rehearsed a bit of what that first conversation felt like for me. If you missed it, and the moments of guided reflection with it, Subscribers and Free Members can see it here, and everyone else can read the transcript below the video. Jesus met me there like the young man in this image. He made Himself accessible and I have never been the same.

I am absolutely still a work in progress, but He made me whole. In other words, I am still working out my experiential understanding of what took place in the first little talk with Jesus. I often say I am not what I once was, nor am I yet what I will be. Little talks with Jesus are a huge part of this ongoing transformation.

Have a little talk with Jesus today. Have several. And keep having them. They will make you whole!

Jesus, thank You that I can talk with You. Help me to make that my first resort, as opposed to some version of my last resort, until my initial inclination is to talk with you about everything. Thank You bathing my soul in love. May the knowledge that my name is written in the book of life cause it to happen again today, even as it is expressed daily in the wholeness that it makes mine In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Transformative Thinking!

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Subscribers enjoy this podcast and the transcript below!

Podcast 8.1 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in

Romans 5:8 ESV

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Every one of us was separated from God because of our sin, and we did not even know it until the Holy Spirit opened our eyes to God’s love, and our need for it. Are you thankful Jesus took you in? Tell Him.

And then a little light from heaven filled my soul

1 John 1:7 ESV

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

We were stumbling around lost in the darkness of sin when the light of heaven filled our souls. Now we can walk in His light because He has cleansed us from sin. Ask Him to help you walk in that light today.

He bathed my heart in love and He wrote my name above

Revelation 20:12 ESV

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

Not only do we get to walk in the light today, but every day for the rest of eternity because He wrote our names in the book of life. Because Jesus took us in, we are judged according to what He has done. Give Him praise.

And just a little talk with Jesus makes me whole

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We were able to approach the throne of grace with confidence that first time, and every subsequent time, because Jesus has given us access. Keep talking to Jesus every time you need mercy and grace. Tell Him your need today?

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.

Image Attributions
Bathed My Heart in Love – https://pixabay.com/photos/faith-love-hope-hands-contact-3772000/
Wrote My Name Above – https://itabaza.org/ububiko-bwamabanga-yabatuye-isi-buri-mwijuru/book/
Little Talk with Jesus – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/420594052672016226/?lp=true

Just a Little Talk with Jesus
By: Cleavant Derricks (1909-1977)

Listen as you read. This is an updated version of this old hymn.

As promised we begin being to explore the second of our two alternating hymns this week, Just a Closer Walk with Thee, and Just a Little Talk with Jesus. As we begin that journey today looking into the heart of the matter with the first two lines of the latter, I am excited to announce that Wednesday Wanderings begins tomorrow with a different look into this text under the guidance of Dr. Sherri Woods. If you are on our list, watch your email tomorrow for that first installment. If you are not on our list, sign-up today in the box to the right.

Let’s tune our hearts!

A Different Path

Last week our opening image was of two people walking and talking along a colorful path enjoying each other. Today’s image is meant to evoke a very different feeling. It looks like a few individuals walking alone on a dark street. It looks a little dangerous, even mysterious. What thoughts come to mind as you look at that image?

Maybe the caption I added gives it away, but there is trouble lurking on that path. In the shadows all sorts of mischief are brewing, things which one the one hard may seem intriguing even temping, but cause us a world of pain. We all know that path because we have walked it far too many times. It is way that quickly takes us far from a life of honoring God. What sins dot your path? Doesn’t take much introspection to recall the difficulties into which we wandered, does it?

Take just a few moments to recount some of the things which demonstrated just how lost you were. You will need that mental list in a minute.

But Jesus

Fortunately for us, Jesus knew we could not find our way back to the light, so He came looking for us. That is what He did on the cross. He made a way for us to come back to our Father, the One from whom our sins had separated us, causing us to be swept along a powerful stream of self-indulgence.

Can you remember that moment when you accepted the grace of Jesus? I can. It felt very much like what this image depicts. I realized that I was far from God, but that Jesus not only had made a way back, He was the Way.

There is quite a contrast between these two images, just like there is between the first and second part of that first line. Lost, accepted. Alone, together. Darkness, light. Jesus has done all that for us, but I fear we are too quick to forget. That little talk we have with Jesus at the beginning of our relationship changes everything, eternally. Hallelujah! But we need to keep talking to Him. At a loss for what to say, start here.

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Luke 7:47

Jesus taught this truth using the extravagance of an expression of much love from a woman who had been forgiven much. Truth is, we have all been forgiven much. Trouble is, we forget too quickly.

Have a little talk with to Jesus right now. I asked you to recount some of the ways your life demonstrated how lost you were. Thank Jesus for delivering you from each of them.

Can You Still See It?

The light that is. You saw it when you took Jesus up on His offer of forgiveness. You have seen it in those moments you chose to love Him, and others, much. Maybe you saw it just now as you expressed your gratitude once again for the deliverance Christ has brought into your life. You can see it, that light from heaven that filled your soul, every time you remember how Jesus took you in, drawing you away from that life of sin.

And what a beautiful, inspiring light it is. We face all kinds of darkness in our lives, every day. But that light from heaven still illuminates our path even when, especially when, the darkness closes in on us.

You invite that light every time you have a little talk with Jesus. Does it leave entirely? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Like the image here, sometimes it is pushed to the side, still present, but not overwhelming.

So remember to welcome the light. Remember to talk to Jesus. There will be times when you simply sit and enjoy His presence. Other times, you will pour your heart our in tears. But sometimes, many times, throughout the course of every day, just have a little talk with Jesus. Why? Because those talk make you whole.

Invite Jesus right now to flood your soul with the light of heaven. Look to the cross. Welcome His embrace. Revel in His love.

We will continue to warm our hearts with these truths as we step deeper into this old hymn on Thursday and subsequent weeks, but be sure to take a few minutes and cultivate that heart to converse with Jesus through the video log and transcript below the prayer. The video is available only to our Subscribers and Free Members, but the transcript is available to everyone. Become a Free Member today. Simply click here.

Bright Tuning!

Jesus, I was lost in sin. But that did not stop You from demonstrating Your love for me, on the contrary in motivated You to do so, out of obedience to the Father. When I surrendered to Your love, light filled my soul. Help me to surrender today and every day, and to walk in that light. In Jesus name. Amen.

Like what you finding here? Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each new post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

Subscribers and Free Members enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Video 8.1 Transcript

Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.

It all begins here, with a heart of repentance, turning away from sin and into the loving arms of Jesus. Do you remember when you first realized He willingly accepts as we are? Reflect on that and thank Him for leading you to repentance and taking you in.

I remember exactly where I was that moment the light of heaven filled my soul. I remember what that felt like to turn from the darkness of doubt. Do you? Thank Jesus for the work He has down in your soul.

I felt His love for me and embraced the wonder of it with my whole heart. I was overcome with emotion, my eyes filled with tears. Still my mind had little idea of the wonder that had just occurred, my name written in the book of life. Bless His name!

Each of the sections of this old song ends with the powerful declaration I first realized that night, a little talk with Jesus changes things. It changes me, my perspective, my circumstances. Sometimes all three. Thank Jesus for the difference a little talk with Him makes.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.

Sing

Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.

Image Attributions
Lost in Sin – https://pixabay.com/photos/lost-hell-limbo-night-dark-forest-474124/
Jesus Took Me In – http://onayemiinspiration.blogspot.com/2015/08/jesus.html
Light from Heaven Filled Me Soul – https://pixabay.com/photos/inspiration-heaven-spirituality-2706594/