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Renewing Your Reverence

We Praise Thee O God

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

For the Son of Thy Love

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/

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Is Your Living Giving All Glory to Jesus?

Jesus Be Thou Our Glory Now

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 podcast below.

Here is podcast 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 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 continue our journey through this ancient hymn originally written in Latin, but still true today. Consider the blessing of knowing the glory of Jesus now, and later. Let’s think about this.

Glory Now

How fortunate we are! We know the wonder of the revealed glory of the Son of God. We may struggle to wrap our minds around it but that makes it no less true.

Our prayer in these closing lines of the hymn simply asks Him to be our glory. What does that mean to you? How do you imagine Jesus will be your glory today?

Glory has two different aspects to it, honor and beauty. Jesus is both to us. He is our honor and beauty when others see and acknowledge something about us that we know is a direct result of our surrendering our lives to Jesus. Maybe you respond to a difficult situation in an unusual way. Maybe you show someone a remarkable measure of grace.

Things like this demonstrate that Jesus is our glory now, and we must be ready and willing to give Him the glory rather that keep it to ourselves. We can thank people for the recognition, but we need to be careful to redirect that to our Lord. To make light of the glory in our lives that reflects Jesus diminishes His glory in us. We can receive those words, but only long enough to give Him praise for it.

Jesus, be Thou our glory now,

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 ESV

He is our glory now, not only to those who saw Him face-to-face. He wants to show Himself in your flesh today. We have seen His glory in His blending of grace and truth and want to reflect it to the world around us. 

We are not simply waiting until the day we can live in the glory of Jesus eternally. 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. How can you do that today?

RESONATE!
How can you allow the glory of Jesus to be seen in your life today? You need to make certain you can identify it, so spending regular time with Him is essential. As you become more like Jesus at the core of who you are, reflecting the reality of who He is will become more natural, while always remaining supernatural. Thank Him for revealing His glory to You. Ask Him to help you be ready when He brings opportunities to you today to reflect it to the world.

 

Glory Later

And Through Eternity

Keeping the end in mind balances this struggle of glory now and later. We can welcome the truth of His glory into our lives today more easily when we are convinced it is already ours in some measure and will be fully ours one day because of what Jesus has already done. Are you living today with an eye on eternity?

And through eternity.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…Philippians 3:20 ESV

This earth is not our home, our final destination. We are passing through. Keeping eternity in mind becomes more difficult when we forget this and become more concerned with making this life as comfortable as possible. We are waiting for something, and waiting is never easy.

Jesus is our joy and glory now, but even still we await an incredible inheritance, the privilege of living in the very presence of God forever. That will be heaven indeed. We need to be careful not to act like we have become naturalized citizens of earth.

RESONATE!
What things in your life make it clear you are living for now? For later? Is there a balance, or do you need to make some adjustments? We must look forward to what is to come, but remember that if we are still here, God has a purpose for us. That purpose is always to reflect His glory by living in the reality of it every moment, even as we wait for the fulfillment of it one day. Ask Him to show you how to do that today.

Jesus, thank You for being my glory now. May I be quick to point others to you when they see it in me today. May I also long for more of it now, and later. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Glorified 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.

Podcast 21.4 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.

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

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. When we stay connected to Jesus, His joy flows through us. Ask Him to help you abide in His joy today.

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

We also 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. Press on today through even delight and dilemma, listening to His voice. Praise Him for calling you upward.

Jesus, be Thou our glory now,

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 ESV

He is our glory now, not only to those who saw Him face-to-face. He has made His grace and truth known to us, and surrendering to walk in it with Him has ushered His glory into our lives. Thank Him for the glory He is making known to you today.

And through eternity.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…Philippians 3:20 ESV

Jesus is our joy and glory now, but even still, we await an incredible inheritance, the privilege of living in the very presence of God forever. That will be heaven indeed. Ask Him to help you wait for His return and the anticipation of enjoying your forever home.

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.

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

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 Is Your Living Giving All Glory to Jesus? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Jesus, Be Thou Our Glory Now – https://pixabay.com/photos/stained-glass-church-window-1414790/
And Through Eternity – https://pixabay.com/photos/clouds-heaven-sky-powerful-god-4907646/

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Give the Glory See the Glory

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri 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 with Dr. Sherri, we examined hope. This week we will compare and contrast  Seeing the glory and Giving the glory.  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: John 11:4 Amplified Bible

 When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death; but [on the contrary, it is] for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.

Even trials come to glorify God and provide an opportunity for us to give God glory and to see and experience the Glory of God.

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

Jesus, our only joy be Thou,
As Thou our prize will be;
Jesus, be Thou our glory now,
And through eternity.
Clairvaux recognized that our joy is found in Jesus, the Lord of Glory (James 2:1), the Glory of God. We come to know this truth as we give Glory to God and we experience the Presence of Jesus which is the very Presence of God. To give God glory is to honor His Being and the significance of All He is. To experience God’s glory is to be honored by His Presence. Do you give God glory? Do you experience God’s glory?

PARABLE: 

It is easier to give God glory when we are experiencing joy. It is challenging to give God glory when we are experiencing grief and trials. Over the last few years, as grief has become my travel companion and visited me as if we had a shared vacation agreement, I have often sought God’s glorious presence to clear my mind of sorrowful thoughts and open my heart to His healing love.

Yet, I have to admit that I have not always given Him glory and honor FOR the sorrow. While preparing for this blog, I had an aha moment. God’s glory and Giving glory are traveling companions. They share a space. I have been guilty or separating these privileges.

I desire to make giving GLORY an act of worship. This will entail me pairing giving God glory and encountering His Glory as partners (the same way I acknowledge grace and mercy as partners).  Whether this is an old concept, you need a reminder, or if it is a new one, I need to illuminate the truth for my own sake.

The more we practice seeking His Presence, the more we receive the presents of His being– such as joy, peace, love, compassion, and hope. As we receive His Presence, we offer Him Glory. This allows the cycle of giving God glory to continue. I realize that if I reframe my perspective that when trials and temptations occur in my life and when grief visits me again (and it will) that my default will be to glorify God in the circumstance and then receive His Glory as a result of glorifying His being!

Because Jesus IS the GLORY of God, He deserves the GLORY regardless of our circumstances. I now see this as a spiritual equation. Give God Glory = Experiencing God glory. Are giving God glory and experiencing God’s glory synonymous in your life?

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, take time to ponder these questions: Do I seek to give God glory and experience God’s glory? Have these been a both/and in your life or an either/or? 
Soul care training exercise:  If you would like to move Giving God Glory and Experiencing God glory into a synonymous act of worship in your life, I invite you to complete the below G.L.O.R.Y. soul training exercise.

  • First, Give God glory because He deserves it regardless of your circumstance. 
  • Next,  Let His presence fill you.
  • Then, Offer your praise and worship for His Presence.
  • Now, Receive His joy, hope, peace, and compassion. 
  • Finally surrender your Yes to the process.

PRAYER: Lord of Glory, forgive me for oftentimes seeking to experience your Presence without offering you the Present of giving you glory. I desire to encounter you in my giving your glory and in your being the Glory! In your loving name I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to breathe in His Glory for His Presence is with you and let the work of your wandering fill you with hope.

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 See the Glory Give the glory  appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions:
Pixaby with added texts

BONUS REFLECTION: GLORY guided meditation. If you choose click below and take five minutes to experience the GLORY guided meditation.

 

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Perspective, Now and Then

Jesus, Our Only Joy Be Thou

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

As Thou Our Prize Wilt Be

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/

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Knowing a Love-Induced Bliss

The Love of Jesus, What It Is

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 podcast below.

Here is podcast 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 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 continue our journey through this ancient hymn originally written in Latin, but still true today. Consider the blessing of knowing the love of Jesus. Let’s think about this.

It Is What It Is

There is normally a resignation in this cliche, but that is not how we are using it here. Instead here it is a quiet affirmation of what the love of Jesus is, the singular eternity altering reality around which hinges everything that ever was, is, or will be. Not to mention your very eternal existence.

And just what is the love of Jesus you ask?

The love of Jesus, what it is,

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV

It is our motivation, and our inspiration. It is our beginning, and our end. It is our freedom, and that which constrains us. It is everything to us, while at the same time is viewed as nothing by some. But we know better.

And this is the love of Christ, to live no longer for ourselves, but for Him who died for our sake and was raised. This life springing from death is an example of the very love it represents. This kind of other-centered love runs contrary to the understanding of love the world possesses. It is a giving love, not a taking love. It controls us, when we surrender to its influence.

And surrender we should because of the bliss that results.

Why? Because the love of Jesus is what is truly inexpressible. Our bliss flows from our knowledge of it, but it is not simply intellectual. It stirs our hearts, our souls, our minds like nothing else, for there is nothing else like it.

RESONATE!
So how will you respond to the love of Christ today? First, simply praise Him for making it known to you.  That is the first miracle. Then, ask Him to show you how to live in response to it. When you do, take a few moments to listen to what He is saying to you, then let His love control you…and do it. 

To Be Loved

None But His Loved Ones Know

If the love is Jesus is going to control us, what kinds of things might we expect it to ask of us. In a word, love. But who exactly and why?

The people of God. Because He commanded us.

None but His loved ones know.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34 ESV

We are His. Bought at a great price. And just how do we demonstrate that we belong to Him? We show we are His loved ones by loving one another.

Do you love God’s people? If someone investigated your life, what evidence would they find to build their case. Would it confirm you do or don’t, or would it be inconclusive?

Here’s a different thought. 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. What are you doing everyday to help you tell the story of your Savior’s love?

RESONATE!
Loving those who love Him. Only those who love Him can know a love that enables this. This is a sober reality. If you understand this ask God to help you demonstrate you are His by loving those who love Him. Then follow that love up by building relationships with those who do not yet know His love so they can see it in you.

Jesus, thank You for the making me Yours by revealing Your love to me. Your love made me Yours. Help me to live it out in a way that allows others to know it as well. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sober Thinking!

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Podcast 21.3 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.

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, 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.

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, for only the Holy Spirit can reveal it to us. 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.

The love of Jesus, what it is,

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV

And this is the love of Christ, to live no longer for ourselves, but for Him who died for our sake and was raised. Ask Him to show you how to live in response to His love today.

None but His loved ones know.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34 ESV

We are His. Bought at a great price. And just how do we demonstrate that we belong to Him? We show we are His loved ones by loving one another. Do you love God’s people? Ask Jesus to help you demonstrate you are His by loving those who love Him.

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.

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.

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 Knowing a Love-Induced Bliss appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
The Love of Jesus What It Is – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-god-holy-spirit-christian-3469896/
None But His Loved Ones Know – https://pixabay.com/photos/holding-hands-circle-of-friends-858005/

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