Resonant 7

You are here: Home / Archives for smattern

by Leave a Comment

In the Extremes, and the In-betweens

 

Every Hour

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

I Need Thee Every Hour
By: Annie S. Hawks, 1836-1911 (1872)

Listen to this beautiful piano version as you read, or watch the video then read.  Subscribers and Free Members make certain to enjoy the video log below.

So here we are again, declaring our need of God.  It is a good habit to develop and over these six weeks we are working on it.  We want to make awareness of our need of God familiar as a well-worn path. We need Him at the extremes of life, and at every moment in between.  Let’s tune our hearts.

Every Hour

When we begin to sing the words we know just how true they are.  But between those moments it is easy to forget just how much we need God.  We get moving along from one thing to the next and sometimes many hours have passed since we last realized let alone practiced how much we need God.

How do you practice your need of God?

I walked through a scenario earlier today when I knew I needed God.  It was a little out of my comfort zone and a bit stressful so as I stood there waiting for it to materialize, I lifted a simple prayer to God.  “I need you God.  Please help me in this moment to speak words that help others realize their need for You.”

It is simple to do, yet often we forget to practice it.  Doing so with regularity reframes every moment, let alone every hour.  But every hour is a great start.

And we have absolute access so we can approach boldly.  We can cry out to Him at any time and all the time.  Mercy and grace, who does not need more of those in their life, right?

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.  Hebrews 4:16 ESV

Need some help preparing for that time of need? Developing this habit.  Set and alarm on your phone for one hour from now, or on the next hour.  When it goes off click “repeat” and offer a simple prayer like this.  “I need You Lord.  Help me fix my eyes on You and trust You in everything for this next hour.”  That should get you started developing the habit of acknowledging your need of God in the ordinary moments of life.

This is an important habit to develop because it will prepare you to live the extraordinary moments better.  Otherwise the moments of joy or pain may otherwise cause you to either doubt your need of God, or deny He cares.  You want to avoid both at all costs.  Coming to Him regularly will help.

Pain

Joy or Pain

The latter is easier.  When we experience pain, our immediate desire is for relief.  Whether it is emotional, physical, mental or spiritual, we want to be delivered from it.

The pain should remind us how much we need God, even more than deliverance.  Sometimes, maybe even often, God chooses to deliver us through things than from them.  The ability to persevere is a gift that serves us well in a myriad of circumstances but is not often at the top of our things to ask for in prayer.  James 1:2-4 teaches the value of trials but living through such circumstances is still very difficult.

Are you facing some pain right now?  Have you been praying about it?  If so, has it been for it to come to an end, or for it to produce something in you?  Don’t misunderstand.  It is ok to pray for pain to pass, Jesus taught us that in Matthew 26:39.  But in the same passage He also taught us to accept God’s will to unfold if it does not.

If you are facing some pain right now, you need God.  Cry out to Him.  He has a purpose for it and He loves you.  Sorrow may last for the night but joy comes in the morning. (Psalms 30:5)

Joy

But even more challenging is maintaining your awareness of your need of God in the moments of joy.

Pain prompts us to cry our for relief.  Joy dulls our sense of need because it is itself so satisfying.

Pain pushes us to something better.  Joy masquerades as “something better”.

Pain makes us feel small.  Joy makes us feel great.

I wish I could take you back to your last moment of pure joy.  Was your first thought, “This is awesome”  or “God You’re awesome”?  Huge difference.

Joy may be otherwise defined as delight.  It is the emotion evoked by well-being, success or good fortune.  Joy is a truly wonderful thing, as long as we always remember the source of it all.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 ESV

When we keep that perspective, we remember the source is better than the gift itself.  That guards us from the temptation to think we have somehow earned it or deserve it.  When we receive everything as from His gracious hand, we are far less likely to lose sight of Him, and our need of Him.
If you are walking in joy right now, you need God.  Give praise to Him.  He has a purpose for this and He loves you.  
Allow every circumstance to point you back to God and deepen you relationship with Him.  You need Him very hour.  Do not miss an opportunity to practice that.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Romans 12:12 ESV 

Jesus, I need You every hour.   I need you when pain is overwhelming.  I need you when joy is welling up.  I need you for every moment and every emotion in between those two extremes.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

Constant Tuning!

Keep coming back and we will work 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 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.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes 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.

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

Video 11.3 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.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

A week has passed since we last declared our need of God together, but I hope it has not been more than an hour since you last found some ways of expressing that.  Three weeks in and three weeks to go through this hymn, ask God again to help you develop this good habit.

So we have come to yet more experiences when our need of Jesus is very revealed, whether we are experiencing joy or pain.  Crying our In pain is simpler because we long for relief. But we must learn to confess our need in joy as well, to protect ourselves from conceit.  Help us Lord.

We ask God to come and dwell with us.  It reflects Jesus teaching about abiding which promises we will bear fruit.  We stay connected to Him and we are fruitful. The alternative is pitiful. Ask Jesus to teach you how to practice this.

Without God life tends toward vanity, fruitlessness, and fleeting satisfaction.  Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12 instructs us to “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”  Ask God for the awareness of Him which protects our lives and fills them with purpose.  

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
Every Hour – https://pixabay.com/photos/old-man-old-person-person-2803645/
Joy – https://pixabay.com/photos/joy-success-freedom-happy-victory-4293825/
Pain – https://pixabay.com/photos/tears-crying-tear-pain-injustice-4551435/

by Leave a Comment

Two Ways to Thwart Temptations

Since the Garden

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

I Need Thee Every Hour
By: Annie S. Hawks, 1836-1911 (1872)

Listen to this beautiful piano version as you read, or watch the video then read. Please be sure to experience the worship-cultivating podcast below.

We continue our journey toward greater and deeper awareness of our need of God.  We need Him to stay nearby because His presence helps us over the power of temptation.  If you have battled temptation, you are probably very familiar with how difficult it is to overcome it on your own.  Today we examine the one thing that can disarm temptation,  the presence of God, and two ways to practice it. Let’s think about this.

Temptations are Common

Since the Garden of Eden our temptations have been a problem.  Ultimately they all come back to one thing, control.  We want what we want, when we want it, our way.  God has given us clear commands to protect us, but we think we know better how to meet our deepest needs.  How foolish!

That is what the Snake convinced Eve and Adam about, right?  They had everything, yet the one thing God said they could not have was the only thing that it seemed could satisfy them.  They had an insatiable appetite for more.  It led to their downfall.  And has been doing the same thing to every human being since then, with one great Exception.

Jesus.

The same enemy tempted Him, with similar enticements.  Greed, power, worship.  But He overcame because His focus on God’s glory was stronger than the voice offering the counterfeit.

And He overcome the same way we can, by inviting our perspective to be informed by the Word of God.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability…1 Corinthians 10:13a ESV 

God is faithful.  He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.  What?  Sometimes my ability seems VERY small.  And the temptation VERY BIG.  But that perspective is off.

Wrong Focus

The real problem arises when we focus on the temptation rather than focusing on God.  This problem turns our world upside down because we have chosen to focus on the moment rather than the larger reality.  That erroneous perspective is what creates the real issue.  We have lost our ability to see things as they truly are.  If however we use our ability to remind ourselves who God is, the temptation will suddenly be dwarfed by His magnificence.

Adam and Eve allowed themselves to focus on the temptation rather that God.  It allowed the temptation, the desire to be like God,  to become larger than it truly was, which simultaneously made God smaller to them.  That is an unfortunate series of events. But it is one that each of us falls prey to more often than we would care to admit.

Think about a recent time you were tempted.  If you fell prey to it, was it because it seemed too large to overcome at the time?  Do you remember your perspective on God in that moment?  You probably don’t because who had either forgotten to ask for His help or were not interested because of the lure of the temptation.  Ask Him right now to help you focus on Him when you are next tempted.

But They Can Be Overcome

How? The second part of the verse above answers that question.

…but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.  1 Corinthians 10:13b ESV

Way of Escape

If we will look for it, God has promised to provide a way of escape from the power of temptation.  The problem is we often fail to look for it.  When we do, we experience the faithfulness of God in the way of escape.  

What does it mean to endure a temptation?  To find yourself under the power of it, ask God for His help and take the escape He provides.  We have all found ourselves under the power of temptation.  We have all failed to ask God for His help at one time or another.  That failure led to our inability to see the escape, which means rather than enduring the temptation we succumb to it.

What is our way of escape?  God.  An awareness of God.  The presence of God.  His power.  Temptations which once seemed so daunting, suddenly become endurable.  Thanks be to God!

God will provide a way of escape, but He wants us to ask and search for it.  Prepare to endure your next temptation by determining to ask Him to help you find your escape the moment you feel it approaching.  That temptation will be rendered powerless in light of the incomparable presence.

So the two ways to thwart temptation are

  1. Focus on God, Not the Temptation
  2. Find Your Escape

Jesus, teach me how to overcome temptations by inviting Your presence all the time, but especially when I am tempted.  I believe You will provide a way of escape if I will but look to You.  In Jesus’ name.   Amen.

Watchful Thinking!

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness?  Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, and sometimes to Free Members.  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 lots of options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

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

Podcast 11.2 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.

I need Thee every hour,

Psalm 86:1 ESV

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

David knew how to speak his heart to God.  How much better off we would be if we were as quick to admit our condition before our Lord.  Practice right now by asking Him to bend HIs ear toward you and tell Him how much you need Him.

   stay Thou nearby;

James 4:8 ESV

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

It seems so simple.  Just draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.  So what makes it seem so difficult? Our double mindedness.  We waver between wanting to please God and please ourselves. Ask God to help you cleanse your hands, and be single-minded.

Temptations lose their pow’r

1 Corinthians 10:13a ESV 

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability…

Powerless temptations.  That sounds appealing. It is God’s faithfulness that gives me the ability to resist the temptations, effectively removing their power, but I must turn to Him and trust Him.  Ask Jesus to help you come to Him the next time you are tempted.

   when Thou art nigh.

1 Corinthians 10:13b ESV

…but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

I have often said it is God’s presence that make the difference in every circumstance, and temptation is certainly one of them.  Our way of escape is to find our way back to Him. Ask God to make you aware of His nearness so you may endure your next temptation.

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.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

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
Temptations – https://pixabay.com/photos/snake-apple-paradise-eve-bible-1322240/
Wrong Focal Point – https://pixabay.com/photos/focus-telephoto-lens-lens-loupe-407244/
Way of Escape – https://pixabay.com/photos/emergency-exit-escape-fire-4168808/

by Leave a Comment

How To Get God to Stay Nearby?

I Need Thee

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

I Need Thee Every Hour
By: Annie S. Hawks, 1836-1911 (1872)

Listen to this beautiful piano version as you read, or watch the video then read.  

We are going to declare again and again over these weeks how much we need God.  We are doing this for our benefit, for the sooner this settles in the better off we will be, for the more enabled we will find ourselves to overcome the power of temptation. Let’s tune our hearts.

Help

The image that comes to mind for me is a little child trying to muster up the courage to do something.  They want to do it, and do it by themselves, but they feel much better about trying when mom or dad are nearby.  Like climbing the ladder to the sliding board.

They want to do it, but with the moral support drawn from the nearness of a parent, just in case something goes wrong.  There is a little danger, but it is mitigated by the power of the parent.  The parent gives courage to the child simply by being near. This is a very powerful, positive perspective.

As we get a little older, we still find comfort in the nearness of authority.  There is simply something reassuring about the access to someone with the power to help should the need arise.  When we know we have the ear of one who can change a scenario it changes everything.  The Psalmist put that feeling like this.

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Psalm 86:1 ESV

But it is not only the access that reassure us.  It is the certainty of an answer.  And we need that answer when we acknowledge we are poor and needy.

I Need Thy Ear

When I embarked on this journey of Resonant 7 several years ago I had a friend who offered me some good counsel.  He told be to ask for help when I needed it.  Then he said, “You need to act like a poor man and not be ashamed to ask for help when there is something you need that you can not accomplish without help.”

That counsel has served me well on this journey but has also challenged me in other areas as well.  Admitting we are poor and needy, especially to one that can help is a humbling and rewarding experience, but not one most of us look forward to.  You see it is one thing to be heard.  It is quite another to be helped.  Ask God to help you call out to Him for help when you need it.

Jesus, help me to be willing to ask for Your help when I need it.  And I need it every hour, so I can be certain to have many opportunities to practice it.  Thank You Lord in advance for each one.

Nearby

If are going to ask someone for help it is useful to get near them.  There are times when we know we need God’s help but He seems distant.  It makes me think of the old adage, “If God seems distant, realize He is not the one who moved.”  We must address this drift.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8 ESV

This Scripture makes very clear the cause fo the drift.  Sin.  For me it is the temptation to think I am self-sufficient.  Though I know this is not true, I often act in a way that is quite contrary to that.

Stay Thou Nearby

Staying near to God, and drawing near when we have drifted away, is a crucial part of acknowledging our need of Him.  Our double mindedness is the issue.  We waver between wanting to please God and please ourselves. We need to ask for His forgiveness for the times we have lived for us, and then sin we have gotten into as we drifted away, and for His help to live for Him.

One of the main points of Resonant 7 is to help people cultivate an awareness of God’s presence.  When we are mindful He is near, it has a very profound effect on our ability to live for Him. That ability keeps us out of trouble by ensuring we are engaged in His will and ways.

Ask God to help you cultivate a continual awareness of His presence.  Ask Him to help you stay nearby, as opposed to wandering off and getting in all sorts of trouble.  Jesus is always near.  We simply need greater awareness of Him.

Jesus, Your presence makes the difference in every circumstance.   Help me to be quick to confess my need of You, and to live in Your presence.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

Continual Tuning!

Keep coming back and we will work 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 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.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, but today 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 transcript!

 

Video 11.2 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.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

Here we are again.  Another week, another stanza, and another 168 hours of experiencing our need of Jesus.  Maybe you became aware of your need as He seemed distant at some point. Truth is He is always closer than even your breath.  Tell Him you need Him.

If He seems distant, as the old adage says, remember it is Jesus who moved.  The point is, we often lack awareness of how near He is because we have learned to be comfortable being unaware of His presence.  Ask Him to heighten your awareness of His presence.

We all have temptations.  The important thing to remember is that temptations do not need to have us.  They seem so powerful when we try to overcome them on our own. That apparent power is diminished as our sense of the Lord’s presence is increased.

We cultivate our awareness of His presence when we confess our need of Him.  That awareness is the best weapon again temptations and the weaknesses of our lessor selves.  Ask the Lord to help you cultivate your spiritual sensitivity every hour.   

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
I Need Thee – https://pixabay.com/photos/hands-hand-fold-woman-finger-work-2274255/
Every Hour – https://pixabay.com/photos/clock-alarm-clock-watch-time-old-1274699/
Most gracious Lord – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/painting-artwork-art-russian-art-1023419/

by Leave a Comment

Can You Hear It?

Tender Voice

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I Need Thee Every Hour
By: Annie S. Hawks, 1836-1911 (1872)

Listen to this beautiful piano version as you read, or watch the video then read. Please be sure to experience the worship-cultivating podcast below.

We consider the latter part of this first stanza today.  As we do, we delve into our need for peace and the reality that there is no other to be found that compares to what God offers.  That said, why do we not pursue it with greater abandon?  Let’s think about this.

For Rhyme’s Sake

This is an interesting line that requires a little thinking to confirm the obvious statement at the initial look.  It seems to be saying “No tender voice can afford peace like Thine.”  It first almost looks like “No tender voice like Thine can afford peace”, implying that any voice like God’s is similarly unable to give peace, which is the opposite of what is trying to be communicated.

Hymns are sometimes guilty of moving words out of order to make the rhyme.   I think this is an example of that.  Here is what one author suggested our hymn writer is trying to say.  “No [other] tender voice furnishes peace [to me] quite as well as yours does.”  You can find the explanation of that interpretation here.

Tender Voice

With that in mind, let us consider now the different aspects that make up this second line.

Peace?

The first thought that comes to me when I think of God’s tender voice is Jesus describing Himself as the Good Shepherd.  You can read the larger context in John 10, but we will press in to one verse to grasp the imagery.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  John 10:27 ESV

We have all found ourselves in the position of that lost sheep, only to realize too late that we have wandered away from the protection of the shepherd, sometimes willfully and sometimes not.  When we realize that we are in a place void of peace what we long for is to hear the voice that ushers it back to us.

We can trust we will hear that voice when we have first confessed our need of Him.  What is truly needful though is to develop an awareness of our continual need.  This helps us cultivate a desire to listen for His voice more often, which keeps us from listening to other voices and protects us from some of the trouble we otherwise end up in.

Maybe today you lack peace.  We have all been there.  Ask your gentle, tender Shepherd to speak to you.  Ask Him to help you hear His tender voice, and to move toward it with the confidence He is already moving toward you.  If you have peace today, ask Him to speak so you can better know His tender voice and be even more ready when the next threat to your peace comes.

Affords Peace

The use of the word afford here means to give.  No voice gives us peace like the tender voice of Jesus.  And how we need to hear His voice, not only when peace seems to be slipping away, but every hour.

We must be vigilant to listen for two reasons.

  1. His voice is tender
  2. Other sounds attempt to overshadow it

I think of how God revealed Himself to Elijah in the still, small voice of I Kings 19.  Though His voice spoke everything into being in Genesis 1-2, it seldom breaks forth with that kind of obvious power.  He wants us to choose to listen, so He speaks with a voice the requires we do, rather than one that demands it.

A little later in John our Good Shepherd offers this promise.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 ESV

Troubles and fears echo in our souls.  They threaten to drown out the tender voice of God.  We must train our ears to listen for Him.

None Like Thine

I heard someone say once that we should speak into our children’s lives in the quiet moments so that when the storms come they are accustomed to our hearing our voices and trust that we will help them.  This is exactly what our Father wants to do.  But we must be listening in the quiet times so we are ready when the noise comes.

And let’s be honest it is hard to discipline ourselves to do that.  When trouble comes we are desperate to hear from God.  But if we have not already learned to listen it will be more difficult to identify His voice.  When we learn to declare regularly how much we need Him, every hour at the very least, we will be better equipped to hear His tender voice, and receive the peace it affords.

Ask Jesus to help you routinely listen for His tender voice.  Discipline yourself to be quiet so you can identify it.  Then when troubles and fears assail your soul, you will be able to cling to peace like nothing this world affords.

Jesus, help me to learn how to listen for Your voice.  I need You every hour.  Teach me to listen every hour, especially in the quiet ones, so when the noisy ones come I can still hear You tender voice.  In Jesus’ name.   Amen.

Peaceful Thinking!

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness?  Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, and sometimes to Free Members.  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 lots of options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

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

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 need Thee every hour,

Psalm 40:17 ESV

As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!

This is a great place to begin, confessing our need of God, and why not?  This Scripture speaks what we know to be true, the Lord takes thought of me.  We know it to be true because He has delivered us before, so cry out every hour with the Psalmist, “Do not delay, O my God!”

   most gracious Lord;

Isaiah 30:18 ESV 

…the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

And He will not delay because of this incredible promise, that He actually waits to be gracious, and exalts Himself when He shows mercy.   He is just and faithfully blesses all who wait for Him. Tell Him you need Him, then wait for His grace to flow.

No tender voice like Thine

John 10:27 ESV

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

He is our gentle shepherd.  He speaks and we hear His voice.  But we not only hear it, we obey. Why?  Because we are convinced He knows, knows what is best for us, and has the authority to bring it to pass.  Ask Him to help you hear His voice as you wait.

   can peace afford.

John 14:27 ESV

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

And this is what we hear when we listen to His voice.  Peace. Not like the world gives, but as only He can. Peace is not the absence of conflict.  Peace is the presence of God. Tell Him you will listen for His voice in trouble and when fears come so you may receive His peace.

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.

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

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
Tender Voice – https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-holding-sheep-statuette-161289/
Peace? – https://pixabay.com/photos/lamb-baby-animals-sheep-animal-1081950/
None Like Thine – https://pixabay.com/photos/religion-faith-shepherd-schäfer-3450127/

by Leave a Comment

Do You Know How Much You Need God?

I Need Thee

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I Need Thee Every Hour
By: Annie S. Hawks, 1836-1911 (1872)

Listen to this beautiful piano version as you read, or watch the video then read.  

We begin a six week journey of exploring and expressing our constant need of God.  This must be a concept we become very comfortable practicing, for doing so takes us to a much deeper intimacy with God.  I pray you develop the habit of routinely telling our Lord how much you need Him during this journey.  Let’s tune our hearts.

I Need You

It is not easy to admit we need anything, until of course we are at the end of ourselves.  This reality alienates us from God, and others, in direct correlation with how self-sufficient we pretend to be.  And it can be a very subtle sufficiency, cloaked in the guise of not wanting to be a burden to others, or asking God for help, but let’s call it what it really is, sin.

As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! Psalm 40:17 ESV

When we need deliverance from situations too big for us and help with circumstances too great, we have no trouble crying out for quick relief.  That’s good, but there is another kind of need with which we use reacquaint ourselves.  It is the continual awareness of our need for God, particularly in the mundane, that takes our relationship with Him to that deeper level.

In that moment we first realized we needed a Savior and that Jesus was willing to be ours, we easily declared, “I need You!”  Do you remember that moment?  “The hour (you) first believed” in God’s amazing grace?  It is just as amazing every other hour after that, and you certainly continue to need it, but something happens to all of us.

Over time we slowly become callous to our need of God all the time.

Can you recall the last ordinary moment you told Him you needed Him?  That might be a little tricky because ordinary moments are simply not very, well, extraordinary, so they are easy to forget.  Even still, is it a habit of yours to confess your need of God?

Tell Him right now.  God, I need You.  In this hour, I need You.  

Every Hour

Every Hour

Our need for God never changes, but our awareness of it does.

I am not even going to try to convince you of this one.  You are poor and needy, just embrace it, and the incredible truth that Jesus wants to help you.  You are on His mind.  Now, to develop your ability to keep yours on Him.

So what are you going to do about that?  May I make a suggestion.

Begin to develop this habit with one of these simple reminders today.

  1. Every time you pass through a doorway tell Him you need Him.  It is a good reminder that as you transition from one place to the next you need to confess your need of Him.
  2. Set an alarm for an hour from now.  When it goes off simply tell Him you need Him, and you are open to His care.  Then restart the alarm for an hour again, and repeat.

These are simple things but they can help cultivate an awareness of your need for God’s presence.

Which one will you do today?  Commit to one right now before this concept slips away, and with it several more hours when you could have been confessing your need for God.

Most Gracious Lord

Most Gracious Lord

What perspective of Jesus comes to mind in those moments when you are telling Him you need Him?

Consider this verse.

…the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.  Isaiah 30:18 ESV 

That first phrase really struck me.  Jesus is waiting to be gracious to you.  I think that means He is longing to do it, more than looking for the right circumstance.

Join that concept of longing with this image and I think that makes sense.  Jesus wants to be gracious to You, and actually is being gracious always, but we are unaware so His grace is effectively lost on us.  How sad that is, and how sad that must make Him.

I believe it makes Him sad for two reasons.

  1. He wants to be gracious to us because He loves us.  When we are unaware of it, I believes is saddens Him.
  2. He is exalted when He shows mercy to us, and since He is more aware than we are of just how worthy He is to be exalted, not doing so saddens Him.

Easy fix.  Make Jesus glad today and engage in exalting Him by telling Him how much you need Him.  Nothing makes Him happier.

You may just be surprised to learn that nothing will make you happier than that either.

Tell Him how much you need His grace.  Thank Him for it and receive it in this hour.  Then repeat it again in 60 minutes or less. 

Jesus, I need You continually, and I want to remember that at least hourly.  Help me to practice that today, and find myself reveling in the wonder of Your grace to me in my need. In Jesus name.  Amen.

Needful Tuning!

Keep coming back and we will work 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 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.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, but 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.

Subscribers and members enjoy this video and transcript! Everyone else just transcript below!

Video 11.1 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.

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

This is a beautiful place to begin, admitting to God you need Him.  Of course, that was easy to confess as you began the journey with Jesus, but often our self-sufficiency kicks in.  Tell Jesus you need Him in this hour. Then embrace of life of repeating that hourly.

The grace of our Lord makes it easy to admit our need.  But we often feel guilty about a thought, or word, or deed and let that keep us from coming.  Begin to develop the discipline of coming often to God, by asking Him right now to help you receive His grace.

Our gracious and gentle Shepherd said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice.  I know them, and they follow me.” We must learn to tune our ears to hear His voice, and then follow wherever He leads.  Ask the Holy Spirit to tune you heart to identify Jesus’ tender voice.

We must learn to follow because doing so leads us to inner peace, even in the hours when things are not peaceful externally.  Have you experienced the peace of Jesus? Either way, ask Him right now to help you listen and learn the way.

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
I Need Thee – https://pixabay.com/photos/hands-hand-fold-woman-finger-work-2274255/
Every Hour – https://pixabay.com/photos/clock-alarm-clock-watch-time-old-1274699/
Most gracious Lord – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/painting-artwork-art-russian-art-1023419/

Connect With Us

Tuesday Tunings LLC
E: support@resonant7.com