We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.

Refrain:
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.

Revive Us Again (1863)
By: Mackay, William Paton, M.D. (1839-1885)

Listen to this version in a gospel style as you prepare to ponder this hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is video content always available as part of an extensive archive of resources. We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today and please consider becoming a Subscriber to support our mission of providing these tools to everyone with access to the internet!!

Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We begin our journey through this classic hymn sung across oceans and denominations for 150 years. Our prayer is the same as all the saints who have sung it before, “Revive us again”. Let’s tune our hearts.

Praise Him

It’s a good place to start a cry for revival.

How often we need revived because life has squeezed what seemed like all the praise out of us? Or maybe we simply let it slowly seep out without taking time to nurture more of it until we were all but empty? Or maybe we have allowed ourselves to question if He is even worthy of praise, or if we even want to offer it?

Ever had any of those feelings? Or others that resembled them? I figure you have. I certainly have. And if you can acknowledge it, then you are in good company.

But you are also not alone if you are ready and eager to join the praise again. Praise has both vertical and horizontal impacts. We praise Him! We come together to acknowledge His worth. We send His praise vertically, as we declare our need for revival horizontally. And when we do, we join the saints of old and on high.

We praise Thee, O God!

Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power. Psalm 21:13 ESV

Praising God is a choice and commitment. We must make this choice based on His worth, put on display by His powerful acts. We also make this commitment as a result of the choice. We will sing…

Sometimes, however, the choice is not easy. He is always worthy, but sometimes the circumstances in which we find ourselves make acknowledging that difficult. How will you acknowledge God’s praiseworthiness today?

RESONATE!
Are you offering praise to God? If something has stopped your praise, you have at least two ways to address it. You can try to identify whatever is keeping you from offering your praise, confess it to God, and ask Him to deliver you from it. Or you can think about His strength and power and begin offering praise as a result of it. Make a choice to praise, and ask for God’s help to offer it.

What For

Maybe you struggled as you tried to think of God’s strength and power on display in your life. We have shared that perspective at one time or another, often when there is a particular way we are longing to see God move and He does not seem to be. We all share that malady.

But that is not all we share.

As we contemplate the praiseworthiness of God, there is another perspective we can share. Imagine for a moment you are standing at the foot of the cross. You look up and see Jesus hanging there, and you lock eyes with him. You might expect to feel pity, but instead, you feel acceptance.

Jesus is the incarnate expression of God’s great love for us. The hymnwriter calls Him, “the Son of Thy love”. If you ever struggle to find a reason for praise, think on this: God loves you so much He sent His Son to earth to complete the mission of reconciling lost sinners to Himself. The Father was pleased with Jesus from the beginning to the end of His work.

For the Son of Thy love,

And behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 ESV

RESONATE!
Because of what Jesus did, we have both a reason and the means to praise God. Even when we drift and loose sight of it, He draws us back, reviving our hallelujahs. What is the state of your praise today? Hearty or anemic or somewhere in between? Think on Jesus and give praise to God today.

Jesus, thank You for giving me a reason to praise. Forgive me for the times I have taken the gift of life for granted and have remained silent. Renew my hallelujah today I pray. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Refreshing Tuning!

Keep coming back, and we will work to help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence.   We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.

Like what you’re finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh 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.

Video 22.1 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.

We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.

Refrain:
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.

We must make the choice to praise God, and sometimes that choice is not easy. He is always worthy, but sometimes the circumstances we are in make acknowledging that difficult. How will you acknowledge God’s praiseworthiness today? Make a choice, and ask for help.

Jesus, help me to acknowledge Your worth today.

The Father loves His Son. And He loves us, too. So much so that He was willing to do whatever it would take to reconcile us to Himself, including sacrificing His Son. Thank Him again today for offering you such an incredible, unmerited favor, the love of God.

Father, thank You for loving me.

We praise Him for Jesus who died. Though there are many things for which we can praise God, the death of Jesus, which makes eternal life available to us, is easily the greatest, for without it we are lost. Ask the Holy Spirit to revive your faith in Jesus today.

Holy Spirit, revive my faith in Jesus.

He died, but is alive forever, and has ascended to the right hand of the Father. From there, He will return one day to take us to be with Him forever. There will be many hallelujahs sung that glorious day. Give God glory now and forevermore for the hope we have in Him. 

God, I praise You for the hope I have in 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.

The post Renewing Your Reverence appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
We Praise Thee O God – https://pixabay.com/photos/people-lady-woman-man-guy-praying-2585962/
For the Son of Thy Love – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-cross-crucifixion-christ-578217/

Jesus, our only joy be Thou,
As Thou our prize will be;
Jesus, be Thou our glory now,
And through eternity.

Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee (Early 12th Century)
By: Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153)

Listen to this version with a single solo voice as you prepare to ponder this hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is video content always available as part of an extensive archive of resources. We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today and please consider becoming a Subscriber to support our mission of providing these tools to everyone with access to the internet!!

Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We continue our journey through this ancient hymn, originally written in Latin, but still true today. There truly is no name like Jesus, no matter the century. He is our source of hope and joy. Let’s tune our hearts.

What’s Your View?

When you think of the words of Jesus, even the whole of God’s communication to us in His written word, what is your view? Is it a list of commands to follow? An interesting history lesson? A road map? A love letter? 

For many of us, it is likely different things at different times, seasons, and days. It serves different purposes as God sees fit at different parts of our journey. Even still, sometimes it can be tedious to open it and read it, or more appropriately let it read us.

With those considerations in mind, please answer this simple question: When was the last time you looked at this book and thought “Herein lies to key to my joy”? Jesus’ words informed my perspective again today as I thought about the joy that He is, and how to cultivate it.

Jesus, our only joy be Thou,

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11 ESV

Jesus is our joy. He desires His joy to be in us, and that joy to be full. How do we ascertain that joy? By welcoming His words into our hearts and ives.

We find joy in many things in life, but Jesus is the source of them all. In this passage, Jesus is speaking of living in His love, for doing so provides us life, and with it, access to joy. When we stay connected to Jesus, His joy flows through us. 

RESONATE!
Are you joyful? Let me ask it another way. Are you full of joy? In another translation, Jesus says complete. If not, consider if maybe you are trying to find your joy elsewhere, and in so doing are constraining the flow Jesus has granted to you. The remedy? Take Jesus’ words and apply them. Read John 15:1-11 for some insight. Thank Him for the access to His joy His words provide.

Pressing On

So as you contemplate how to make Jesus your only joy now, what implications does that have for later? The things of value in this life require some effort, right? As you apply yourself to the pursuit of joy today, what else might you be pressing on toward?

As Thou our prize will be;

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 ESV

There is no prize like this one. It is better than any other you can achieve by far, and also has already been granted to you at your surrender to Jesus. There is a sense in which it is yours now, and simultaneously is not fully within your grasp. It is as if the event is over, but the award ceremony has not taken place. Jesus has accomplished the trophy of a redeemed life, and you are the one who gets to stand on the podium to receive it.

We know there is more coming. Jesus is our joy today, and one day soon will be our prize. It is the ultimate conclusion of living in the call of God. Jesus has done His part, and now we must do ours, infinitesimally small though it may be by comparison. Even still, we press on today through every delight and dilemma, listening to His voice. 

 

 

RESONATE!
We will wear a crown when we arrive in glory, but we will gladly lay it down before Jesus who will be our prize. We may believe nothing compares to Him now, but on that day, we will know and practice the wonder of how true it is. Ask Jesus to help you anticipate the prize He will be, even as you praise Him for calling you upward.

Jesus, thank You for the joy You are today, and the prize You will be one day. Help me to live in Your words, so Your joy may flow through me as I long to receive the prize of my upward calling in You one day. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Joyful Tuning!

Keep coming back, and we will work to help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence.   We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.

Like what you’re finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh 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.

Video 21.4 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.

Jesus, our only joy be Thou,
As Thou our prize will be;
Jesus, be Thou our glory now,
And through eternity.

May we learn to hold Jesus in such high esteem that every other joy pales in comparison, so much so that He appears to be our only joy. There are many other joys in life, but none should captivate our hearts like Him. Ask the Spirit to overwhelm you with joy in Jesus.

Spirit, overwhelm me with joy in Jesus.

We may wear a crown when we arrive in glory, but we will gladly lay it down before Jesus who will be our prize. We may believe nothing compares to Him now, but on that day, we will practice it. Ask Jesus to help you anticipate the prize He will be.

Jesus, help me anticipate the prize You will be.

But we are not simply waiting until that day to live in the glory of Jesus. We can do that today. There is an inheritance that will be ours one day, but we can walk in the reality of it even now. Ask the Father to help you live in the glory of Jesus while you wait to see His face.

Father, help me live in Jesus’ glory today.

Though we want to walk in it now, there is so much we can not even begin to comprehend of His glory until we see His face. He is our glory now, but we will enjoy an even greater glory eternally in His presence. Thank Him there is more to come.

Jesus, thank You there is more glory to come.

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.

The post Perspective, Now and Then appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Jesus, Our Only Joy Be Thou – https://pixabay.com/photos/bible-book-knowledge-pages-reading-1868070/
As Thou Our Prize Wilt Be – https://pixabay.com/photos/trophies-show-award-trophy-prize-710169/

All those who find Thee find a bliss
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee (Early 12th Century)
By: Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153)

Listen to this version with a single solo voice as you prepare to ponder this hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is video content always available as part of an extensive archive of resources. We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today and please consider becoming a Subscriber to support our mission of providing these tools to everyone with access to the internet!!

Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We continue our journey through this ancient hymn, originally written in Latin, but still true today. There truly is no name like Jesus, no matter the century. He is our source of hope and joy. Let’s tune our hearts.

Perfect Happiness

It can be so elusive. Often the things we think will bring it leave us unfulfilled. So we simply exchange one object for another in a seemingly endless quest for happiness. Or was it satisfaction?

The issue rests not so much in the pursuit, or even the driving motivation, but instead in that which we are pursuing. When we are after something that simply can not satisfy our deepest longing, we will only be disappointed when we realize the vanity of the quest. What we need to do first is be certain that we are pursuing the things that will truly satisfy.

The only thing that can satisfy that God-shaped hole in our hearts is God. Nothing else. Intuitively, we know this, but we try to settle for lessor fillers for various reasons.

All those who find Thee find a bliss

You make known to me the path of life;
   in your presence there is fullness of joy;
   at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  Psalm 16:11 ESV

Bliss is perfect happiness. In the presence of Jesus is fullness of joy. Perfect happiness and fullness of joy sound pretty similar don’t they? That is what we find in Christ. Thank Him for making this path of life known to you, and for the eternal pleasures His right hand holds.

RESONATE!
So what are you searching or striving for? There is a bliss or perfect happiness available only to those who find Jesus, for in Him they find great joy and relief from the burden of sin and self. Recall that moment you first realized what Jesus was offering you. Can you remember it? It was bliss. Thank Him for that.

No Words

Have you found that bliss? If you have, think of a time when you tried to share it with someone who had never experienced it. What stories did you tell? What analogies did you use? How did you communicate with them?

There are no words that can fully and accurately portray the great joy that comes into each soul that has found the path of life in Christ. Only those who have surrendered to Jesus and accepted His free gift of life can understand the freedom we have found in Him.

It can be frustrating to try to show your bliss with your tongue or your pen. But it is also exhilarating when another soul surrenders to Jesus and finds it. It is so worth the effort when you see the Holy Spirit doing His work of bringing someone to repentance.

Nor tongue nor pen can show;

But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 ESV

There truly is no way for us to adequately portray in any manner the love of Christ without the work of the Holy Spirit. No tongue or pen can show it, but the Spirit reveals it perfectly and completely. Thank Him for showing you the love of Christ, the very depths of God.

RESONATE!
If we had 1 billion CD’s they would be insufficient to tell of the perfect happiness we find in the love of Christ. If the sky were a scroll and the oceans ink, still the great joy we discover in the depths of God can not adequately be represented or fully set forth. Not even the most eloquent orator or author can tell it completely. Even still, ask the Spirit to reveal it to you again today. Take a few moments to let Him do His unparalleled work of revelation as He shows you again the bliss you have in Christ.

Jesus, thank You for the bliss that is ours when we surrender our lives to You. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for revealing that to us, and continually taking us deeper into God. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see what the Spirit is revealing. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Blissful Tuning!

Keep coming back, and we will work to help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence.   We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.

Like what you’re finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh 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.

Video 21.3 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.

All those who find Thee find a bliss
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

There is a bliss or perfect happiness for those who find Jesus, for in Him they find great joy and relief from the burden of sin and self. Recall that moment you first realized what Jesus was offering you. Can you remember it? It was bliss. Thank Him for that.

Jesus, thank You for the bliss I have found in You.

If the sky were a scroll and the oceans ink, still the delight we discover in God can not adequately be represented or fully set forth. Not even the most eloquent orator can tell it completely. Still, ask the Spirit to reveal it to you again today.

Spirit, show me the bliss I have in Christ again.

The love of Jesus is what is truly inexpressible. Our bliss flows from our knowledge of that, but it is not simply intellectual. It stirs our hearts like nothing else, for there is nothing else like it. Praise Him for making it known to you.

Jesus, I praise You for making Your love known.

The knowledge that only those who belong to Jesus can understand His love is both thrilling and terrifying. Thrilling because we know, and terrifying because there remain so many who do not. Ask God to help you live out your faith with that awareness every day.

God, help me live out the love of Christ so others can know.

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.

The post The Spirit Does What No Orator or Author Can appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
All Those Who Find Thee Find a Bliss – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/person-human-joy-sunset-sun-110303/
No Tongue or Pen Can Show – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/meeting-exchange-of-information-106591/