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Becoming Examples in Affliction, with Joy

Wednesday Wanderings is a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering, we welcomed the divine power of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome. This week we are inviting His joy to gladden our wounded, bleeding hearts. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE: I Thessalonians 1:6-7a ESV
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,  so that you became an example to all the believers…

It is the Spirit who first helps us understand our sadness in light of the purposes and deliverance of God, and it is also the Spirit who ushers in His healing. Let’s take a few minutes today to turn from the sadness of affliction and embrace the joy available in His presence. Will you join us on the journey?

Saddened Heart

PSALM:Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)
By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Holy Spirit, Joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Bid my many woes depart;
Heal my wounded, bleeding heart.

Reed turns the joy of the Holy Spirit inward again in this stanza, using it to undo the effects our woes and sorrow have on us.  Take a few moments to apply His joy to any sadness you may be nursing today and rest in the unrivaled mercy of our God to you. How gentle He is!

PARABLE: Sadness. All of us struggle with some of this. There are many sources of sadness and they are as varied as they are numerous. Sometimes people do or say things that hurt us. Sometimes we are the people doing the hurting and we later feel the remorse it can bring. Sometimes we are disappointed, and other times we disappoint others. Sometimes the wounds leave scars that are difficult to work through, and that is after the bleeding has finally stopped. All of these kinds of things can cause sadness, and none of us is immune from having to deal with some of this.

So how do you find joy in affliction? Short answer, never easily. Long answer, be drawing close to the source of all joy.

As you draw close to the Lord, you begin to imitate Him. As you imitate Jesus you are able to be become the example that at first you were only following. A key piece of this is receiving the word, even in your affliction. It is not easy to listen to what God is saying when we are hurting, but we must learn this invaluable lesson.

Imagine if Jesus was not able to walk through the affliction of the cross.  If He would have turned away before He got there, or not completed His work in the way the Father had designed. Yes, designed. We can accept the fact that God designed the cross for Christ, but sometimes struggle to think that imitating Him will require similar self-denial.

Wounded Heart

Remember Jesus asking for the cup to be removed? So we are in good company when we ask Him to cause our woes to depart. By the stripes He bore there, we are healed. So do not hesitate to ask for that healing to flow in your life that your wounded, bleeding heart may be whole again.

You can be healed and joyful. But you must ask. This stanza is a simple but beautiful prayer. Will you make it yours today?

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the question: How can I routinely welcome the joy available through God’s healing into my life?

The joy of the Holy Spirit wants to flood your life and bring healing.  We must be willing to welcome that joy every day. He has His part which you can not do, but you must do your part and invite Him to come and partner with you and help you with yours. The exercise below expands the simple prayer of this stanza.  Use it and continue to develop resonance as you remove things that hinder the flow of His joy in your soul.

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise.

  • When you are ready, clear your mind and acknowledge that the Spirit is the joy of God.  We must begin there so we are prepared to apply His joy to our sorrows.
  • Next, invite the Holy Spirit to come and cheer your heart when you are confronted with the reality of God and the sadness it reveals in your heart.
  • As He shows you the woes that needs to be informed and healed by His joy, do not hesitate to ask Him to bid them depart.
  • Finally, thank Him that He can heal your wounded bleeding heart, then trust Him to do it today and every day. 

PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for sending Your Spirit to help me deal with my sadness. I need His help every day. Help me to remember this and be quick to ask for it. In Your name I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your soul of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to worship Him and let the work of your wandering fill you with the praise of Christ.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Becoming Examples in Affliction, with Joy appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions:
Saddened Heart – https://pixabay.com/photos/people-man-guy-cry-tears-groom-2566201/
Wounded Heart – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/heart-broken-heart-valentine-love-667806/

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How to Have a Joy-Filled Heart

Joy Divine

Holy Spirit, Joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Bid my many woes depart;
Heal my wounded, bleeding heart.

Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)

By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Listen to this karaoke version as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

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

We continue our journey of resonance toward Pentecost with this lessor known hymn. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ.  He is our Teacher and Guide as well, the Joy to cheer and heal our wounded hearts as we follow Jesus. Let’s tune our hearts.

The Joy of Divine Presence

Holy Spirit, Joy divine,

So I start with a question. What is it in your life today that makes joy seem elusive? It may appear as though joy would flood your soul if you could just remove a certain hindrance or attain some goal or accomplishment. If you have been around long, and chased joy for any length of time, you know the fleeting nature of joy which is acquired in such ways. A change in circumstances is not what brings joy.

I have often said it is the presence of God that makes a difference in every circumstance. I say it because I believe it. I believe it because I have experienced it after first reading it in His Word.

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

The Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide.  He makes known to us the path of life and that path always leads to the source of life. The Spirit reveals to us the very presence of God. In His presence is fullness of joy.

Joy is not the change in the circumstance that allows us to leave a pain behind, or welcome a delight. Joy is finding rest in the pursuit. Joy is finding God and His presence amidst the sadness, woes, disappointments, and wounds.

What have you too long believed was the thief of your joy? What have you focused on wrongly, instead of focusing rightly on the very presence of God? Are you willing to make your singular pursuit not joy, but the source of divine joy, the presence of God?

RESONATE!
Begin by acknowledging divine joy and thanking the Holy Spirit for His willingness to show you the path to it and God’s eternal pleasures. Confess any counterfeits you may have been guilty of pursuing instead. Ask for His forgiveness and His strength as you open you heart to the light of His unparalleled joy. Then simply take a few moments to open yourself to His work as you walk along this.

Cheering our Sadness

Saddened Heart

Cheer this saddened heart of mine;

We all have to deal with sadness at times. It may be brought on by a longing unfilled, or a temptation acted upon. It could be the result of a virtuous loss, or an ill-gotten gain. Maybe the realization that you have mistakenly pursued lessor joy adds a layer of sadness on top of what you were already feeling. The sting of sadness is foreign to no one.

Often we compound our sadness by turning to ways of dealing with it that simply numb it for a time, rather than mitigating it entirely. I have been guilty on more than one occasion of trying to conjure my own way out from under the cloud of melancholy, instead of going to the one who actually has the capacity to cheer my saddened heart.

How about you?

In those moments, we cause ourselves even more pain, and shed what amount to needless tears, rather than simply going directly to the source the can cheer our hearts. The key component?

Faith.

We have to believe not only that He can, but that He wants to cheer us.  It is our choice to believe. And that faith unlocks the power of the Spirit to do that work of cheering our saddened hearts with hope, joy and peace.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 ESV

The Spirit wants to help you learn to turn first to Him when sadness creeps into your heart. Let Him fill you with faith, and hope, and joy today.

RESONATE!
This is a crucial word to receive for all who endeavor to be resonant. If we do not believe God desires us to be resonant, joyfully reflecting the beauty of His presence to the world around us, then we can become and remain unnecessarily sullen.  Ask the Spirit to fill you first with the faith to believe His joy, hope and peace are yours in Christ. Then ask Him to help you learn to walk with a cheerful heart that will be welcome change to all you encounter. 

Jesus, thank You for bringing joy into my life as I rest in Your presence.  Teach me to make that search my priority and to learn to turn first to You when sadness clouds my heart. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Reverent 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 17.3 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.

Holy Spirit, Joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Bid my many woes depart;
Heal my wounded, bleeding heart.

The Spirit brings us the joy of God as He reveals the person of God. Joy is different than happiness because it is not based on the circumstances which surround us, but on the nature and character of God.  Thank Him for giving you joy even in difficult situations.

When we are sad the first place we should learn to turn is to the Holy Spirit.  What is your inclination when sadness comes? Mine is sometimes to imagine what I can do to improve the scenario myself. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you learn to turn first to Him, the source of joy.

Looking to the Spirit to speak to our woes, as opposed to speaking to them ourselves, makes a lot of sense. Often we do not have much authority to make them depart, but He always does. Even when He does not immediately answer this prayer, turning it over to Him helps.  Try it now.

And one final beautiful prayer. We all have wounds.  Some of them have become scars, but others may still be bleeding.  Ask the Spirit to heal your heart from wounds old and new, and then leave them and your heart in His capable hands.

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 How to Have a Joy-Filled Heart appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Joy Divine – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/woman-silhouette-flare-joy-person-2188033/
Saddened Heart – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/heart-love-romance-valentine-3364667/

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Where Do You See Yourself in the Story?

Pity Me

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.

Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)

By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Listen to this karaoke version as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Here is podcast content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, and occasionally to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library? Click here.  Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library.  We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below!  It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

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

We began our journey of resonance toward Pentecost with this lessor known hymn last week. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ.  Like them, He empowers us to live a guilt-free life. Let’s think about this.

The “Man”, and the Best Samaritan

The image above evokes the sense of pity for the need of the one being carried. If you are familiar with the parable of The Good Samaritan, it probably conjures recollections of Jesus’ teaching on loving our neighbors, that is anyone who has a need. [Luke 10:25-37] Jesus teaches that we should show mercy, by affirming the actions of the Samaritan.

When you see that image, when you think of that image, in what role do you normally see yourself. Obviously, the context of Jesus teaching asks us to continually consider what kind of neighbor we are being, so your inclination may be to see yourself as the Samaritan, ever hoping to aspire to the example Jesus set forth in this teaching about the “Good” Samaritan. The concept is so prevalent that this term is used, even among people who have no idea this way of living, to which many aspire was taught by our Lord.

For today’s purposes though I to ask you to see yourself as a different character in the story. I want you see yourself as the one being carried, in Luke he is simply referred to as “a man”, though the other characters have recognizable stations in life. This generalization hopefully allows you to see yourself as simply one in need of help or mercy.

You have no greater need than to be delivered from the consequences of sin, immediate and ultimate. There is no better “Samaritan” than our Lord. The unnamed figure in the story was accosted by robbers, and I would argue your sin has left you feeling the same way at some point. Defenseless, beaten, robbed, and left for dead.

In Thy mercy pity me,

I have often wondered if the victim in the parable had brought this on themself in some way. I have likewise wondered if they were even able to ask for help. But it is little consequence really, because the result is a helpless scenario where one capable of showing mercy intervenes.

So I wonder what has assaulted you? What sin has come and overwhelmed you? Beaten and robbed you? Left you for dead? Whether it was yours or someone else’s, Jesus pitied you before you could even ask. Asking in this context simply appropriates the mercy already available.

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5 ESV

RESONATE!
The power of the Holy Spirit is ready to help you anytime you ask. Where do you need His pity, His sorrow over your misfortune? Ask Him to search you and reveal any areas where you might not even realize you need it, and then as He does confess them. He desires to wash and renew you. Marvel in that mercy again today. Take some time to let Him do that in you today.

The Robbers

There is one more character I would like you to consider today. The robbers. Those terrible people who came and committed the beating and robbing of our unnamed traveler. We do not normally give them much thought.

Sin’s Bondage

Imagine for a moment what they deserve. Certainly punishment of some kind. Had they been caught at the time Jesus told the story, that punishment would likely have been far worse than today. But let us just consider their punishment in our context. Probably jail, until trial. Once convicted possibly prison for theft, and attempted manslaughter. I mean these are horrible people, right?

They deserve to pay for the wrongs they had done. They possibly would have been shackled with the consequences of their actions for quite some time. And that would be just.

But imagine for a moment, the unnamed character showing up at the sentencing and pleading for mercy. Having received mercy himself from the Samaritan, it changed his life and he asks the charges be dropped, and the punishment reduced to time served. It would be a shocking turn of events, right? And unmerited demonstration of mercy.

Kind of like what you have received from the Best Samaritan.

From sin’s bondage set me free.

Yes, that’s right. You are one of the robbers. But you already knew that, even if you have never admitted it. You have been set free from far more than any court of law could sentence you.  You are free from the punishment of the law of sin and death.  Thanks be to the Spirit of life.

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2 ESV

RESONATE!
You have been set free, so walk in that freedom. You were a robber, but now you are a child of God.  All thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Ask Him to help you live in the power of that miracle every moment of every day. Then give Him thanks that doing so is available as you simply yield your life to Him.

Jesus, thank You for setting me free from the bondage of sin. I was helpless to escape but in Your mercy you had pity on me. I am and will be forever grateful for that kindness. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Liberated Thinking!

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Podcast 17.2 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.

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV

Power. Who does not want more of that? But to what end? Though the rest of this stanza puts the focus squarely on the Spirit’s power to deliver us from the influence of sin in our lives, this Scripture applies that power to our witness for Christ. Before we consider their connection, first thank Him for His power.

Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 ESV

How kind of God to give us this promise so that we may ask for His cleansing with confidence knowing He will grant it. This also pours confidence into our witnessing because we can assure those with whom we testify that God desires to forgive them. Praise God for His faithfulness and His forgiveness.

In Thy mercy pity me,

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5 ESV

“Not because of what I’ve done, but because of Who You are.” That line from an old Casting Crowns song plainly reveals the nature of God and His mercy. We do not get what we deserve because of His mercy. Thank God for His mercy, and the renewal in the Spirit it affords.

From sin’s bondage set me free.

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2 ESV

We pray this once and it is accomplished, but we pray it again to acknowledge our need to walk in the reality of it. In Christ, the Spirit has set us free from sin’s bondage, but we sometimes act as though we are still captive. Ask the Spirit to help you walk in this reality today and every day.

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, with the refrain.

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.

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

The post Where Do You See Yourself in the Story? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Pity Me – https://pixabay.com/photos/window-church-window-3616886/
Sin’s Bondage – https://pixabay.com/photos/hand-faust-violent-ward-victory-749676/

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What Do You Mean I Can Be Free?

Wednesday Wanderings is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering, we welcomed the divine light of the Holy Spirit to illumine our darkness. This week we are inviting His power to help us overcome it. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE: Micah 3:8 ESV
But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.

It is the Spirit who first helps us understand our guilt in light of the justice and might of God, and it is also the Spirit who ushers in His emercy. Let’s take a few minutes today to turn from the bondage of sin and embrace the freedom available in His presence. Will you join us on the journey?

Divine Power

PSALM:Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)
By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.

Reed turns the power of the Holy Spirit inward again in this stanza, using it to undo the effects of sin on us.  Take a few moments to apply His power to any guilt you may be carrying today and bask in the unrivaled mercy of our God to you. How mighty He is!

PARABLE: Guilt. All of us struggle with some of this. Things we know we have done which we should not have. Things we have left undone that we know we should have done. Sometimes things happen accidentally and impact others, but other times we are guilty of designing something to go our way. All of these kinds of things can cause guilt, and none of us is immune from having to deal with some of this.

I tend to differentiate between guilt and conviction though. I think the enemy of our souls wants to make us feel guilty at times when the Spirit may not be bringing conviction. I believe if we ask the Spirit He will reveal to us things for which we need mercy, things that have bond us to a sinful path.

Either way, I believe both can be dealt with in the power of the Holy Spirit. Are you dealing with any guilt or conviction today? If it is from the Lord there is a purpose for it.  Will you let it have its intended result, which ultimately is to bring you to repentance, a  turning from whatever is the source of it? This turning leads you to cry out to God to have mercy on you and set you free from the bondage of sin. It changes that guilty heart into on the is no longer chained to the source of that guilt.

You can be free. But you must ask. This stanza is a simple but beautiful prayer. Will you make it yours today?

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the question: How can I routinely welcome the freedom available through God’s power into my life?

The power of the Holy Spirit wants to set you free.  We must be willing to welcome that power every day. He has His part which you can not do, but you must do you part and invite Him to come and partner with you and help you with yours. The exercise below expands the simple prayer of this stanza.  Use it and continue to develop resonance as you remove things that hinder the demonstration of His power in your soul.

My Heart and Sin’s Bondage

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise.

  • When you are ready, clear your mind and acknowledge that the Spirit is the power of God.  We must begin there so we are prepared to accept what His power reveals.
  • Next, invite the Holy Spirit to come and empower you to embrace the reality of God and what it reveals about your heart.
  • As He shows you the guilt that needs to be brought into His mercy, do not hesitate to ask Him to pity you.
  • Finally, thank Him that He can set you free from sin’s bondage, then trust Him to do it today and every day. 

PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for sending Your Spirit to help me deal with my sin. I need His help every day. Help me to remember this and be quick to ask for it. In Your name I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your soul of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to worship Him and let the work of your wandering fill you with the praise of Christ.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post What Do You Mean I Can Be Free? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions:
Power Divine – https://pixabay.com/photos/industry-strommast-power-line-pylon-3112436/
My Heart and Sin’s Bondage – https://pixabay.com/photos/love-symbol-love-bridge-padlock-4177156/

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When Did You Last Feel His Power to Cleanse?

Holy Spirit, Power Divine

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.

Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)

By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Listen to this karaoke version as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

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

We continue our journey of resonance toward Pentecost with this lessor known hymn. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ.  He is our Teacher and Guide as well, the Power to free and strengthen as we follow Jesus. Let’s tune our hearts.

Power Divine

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine

My first thoughts when I think of power are of external sources. Lighting, electric lines, body builders. I do not think of internal power.

But that is precisely the focus here. Well, kind of.

See the Spirit was an external power source for each of us at one point, but for those who have yielded their lives to Christ that has changed. Once the Spirit was outside us, working around us, influencing us and the world around us. Now it is inside  us.

Jesus promised His disciples the Spirit would come and He did.  When He did they were empowered to be witnessed to the wonder of our Savior’s redeeming work. When you yielded your life to that work, the Spirit came to dwell in you making you a witness to the world.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV

And what a remarkable power that is! It is the same power that Paul refers to when he said in Philippians “I want to know Christ -yes to know the power of his resurrection…” Phil. 3:10a Can you grasp the wonder of the that? The same power that rose Christ from the dead is at work IN you.

I believe it is true, but I struggle with it at times.  Why? Because if it is true why do I seem to battle with self and sin so? And how am I supposed to be a witness of a power I still seem to be trying to harness? We will think a lot more about this below, but first take a few moments to simply acknowledge the wonder of this power resident and at work in you.

RESONATE!
The Spirit is the source of Divine power at work in the redemption of every believer and the working out of that salvation with fear and trembling. Welcome His presence again today. Ask Him to give you the power to believe He is the source, and then the grace to tap into Him for daily living. Then revel in the fact that He actually wants to do all that for you.

At Work Within

Of all the things the hymn writer could have focused the power of the Holy Spirit on, it is insightful to consider where his focus immediately turns. Internal.

Though the verse above from Acts informs us that power is to be used to effect things externally, even to the ends the earth, it is imperative that we set the proper framework for internal matters first. If we are not convinced of the power of the Spirit to change our lives, our witness to others of the same will be powerless.

Cleanse This Guilty Heart

What is more internal than the heart?

Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;

If you are tempted to grab the scrub brush and get to cleaning yourself, don’t. We cannot. Doing things on our own is what got us into trouble in the first place, and perpetuates the problem. The humility of this simple prayer is also an evidence of the work the Spirit is already doing in us for none of us seeks after God on our own. [More on this…Romans 3:9-20]

So what are we to do? Enter into a divine dance with the Holy Spirit. We welcome Him to come and dwell within us.  As He does, we become familiar with the gracious way He reveals the things about which we feel guilty. We let Him lead us and agree with Him asking for His gentle cleaning work.

He could tear into us with His power. Instead, He leads us with the kindest of strokes which first reveal the guilt, then their source, and then remove them as we confess them.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 ESV

How kind of God to give us this promise so that we may ask for His cleansing with confidence knowing He will grant it. Then we begin to see the connection between cleaning and witnessing.  This assurance of cleansing pours confidence into our witnessing because we can assure those with whom we testify that God desires to forgive them, because we are walking in the reality of it daily. I am not sure there is a clearer demonstration of His power than in His saving work. 

RESONATE!
Praise God for His faithfulness and His forgiveness. Take a few moments right now and do that. Have you asked for His forgiveness about anything lately? If He has seemed distant, maybe this is why. Ask the Spirit to reveal any sin so that you may confess it and receive His forgiveness. Then bask in the power of God to do that work in you, and be prepared to share it with others.

Jesus, thank You for sending Your Spirit to be Divine power in me.  Teach me to walk in a daily dependence on the Spirit’s ongoing work to cleanse me. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Reverent 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.

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Video 17.2 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.

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.

The Spirit also represents for us the power of God.  Jesus promised in Acts 1:8 we would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon to make us witnesses.  What better thing to share than His cleansing work in our lives.  Thank the Spirit for His power.

We all fall short of the glory of God, and even as Spirit-filled Christians struggle to always do right.  Our failures bring guilt into our hearts and lives.  Some of the most powerful work of the Spirit is cleansing us so we can live free of guilt.  Ask Him to cleanse you today, and every day.

Mercy is not receiving what we deserve.  Certainly our failures bring guilt, but they can also bring condemnation.  The Spirit can free us from both and in His great mercy He gladly does so.  Welcome His mercy again today, and walk in it by His power.

Sin would like to keep us bound, tied up and encumbered so we can not walk in the power of the Spirit.  We can walk in freedom when we yield instead to His power.  Invite His presence and the power it brings into your heart right now.

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 When Did You Last Feel His Power to Cleanse? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Power Divine – https://pixabay.com/photos/flash-thunderstorm-thunderbolt-3087117/
Cleanse This Guilty Heart – https://pixabay.com/photos/wash-brush-soap-heart-soap-wood-1253911/

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