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Are You Offering Your Feeble Praise?

The humbler creation though feebler their lays

O measureless might ineffable love
While angels delight to worship Thee above
The humbler creation though feeble their lays
With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise

O Worship the King 1561
By: William Kethe (?-1594)

Listen to this worshipful version of this hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. 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.

As we continue our journey through this ancient text and hymn, think about how God’s care flows through the majestic and the minute. From grand vistas to the closest droplet of water it is everywhere. Do you have eyes to see it? Let’s think about this.

Lays? Like the potato chips

There are quite a few expressions and words that are a bit archaic in our hymns, but this one may be at the top of the list. It took a bit a research and digging to find a satisfactory explanation of the word “lays”. After combing through many different definitions, and there are quite a few uses of this word, one finally jumped out.

lay (leɪ) 

n

  1. (Poetry) a ballad or short narrative poem, esp one intended to be sung
  2. (Music, other) a song or melody

[C13: from Old French lai, perhaps of Germanic origin]

A lay in this usage is a song or melody. That makes sense but it is a use I had never heard. Maybe that is one of the reasons this final stanzas is not often used, even though the imagery is inspiring.

The humbler creation though feeble their lays

…what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor. Pslam 8:4-5 ESV

Our songs are simply feeble compared to those offered by the angels on high. We are made a little lower than them, so our praise is not as magnificent as theirs. Still He has crowned us with glory and honor, not the least of which is the joy of offering Him praise.

The humbler creation though feeble their lays

…what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor. Pslam 8:4-5 ESV

Our songs are simply feeble compared to those offered by the angels on high. We are made a little lower than them, so our praise is not as magnificent as theirs. Still He has crowned us with glory and honor, not the least of which is the joy of offering Him praise. Even though our praise my be humbler than theirs that does not stop us from offering the best we have now, even as we long for more.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and think about your song of praise. It is humble and imperfect, but God loves to hear it. Pray this simple prayer, “Spirit, help me offer my best praise today.” Then trust Him to do just that.

All Creation

With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise

When Jesus returns there will be no one left out of offering Him praise. The Father has given Him the name that is above every other name. Accordingly, He will receive praise that is due no one else and everyone will offer it.

It begs the question, “Are you offering your songs of praise in this season in a way that is welcoming others to join you?” Our songs may be humble expressions of His matchless worth but we should still be offering them so others have a chance to hear them and sing along. And we should be inviting others to come along with us when we go to sing our humble songs. Maybe they will be confronted and comforted by the awesome reality that is our God.

You do sing His praise, right? When was the last time you invited someone to come with you to wherever you sing His praise? Decide today to invite someone to join you soon. That way when Jesus comes back they just might be ready to join the praise as opposed to those who will not be.

With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise

…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11 ESV

How we long for that day when all creation will join us in the worship of the King! They may not choose to do so yet, but that day is coming when they will no longer have a choice. Every tongue will confess His worth. Hallelujah!

When we sing His praise it makes us long for more. And more is coming. More and better praise by more of creation, frankly all of creation. We long for that day when every knee will bow and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord. May we praise Him now in such a way that many join us even before that Great Day arrives.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider what that day will be like when we offer our praise to with all creation. May there be many who gladly sing with us that day because they chose to offer their humble praise when they heard us offer ours. Pray simply, “Jesus, help me praise You in a way that welcomes others to join.“

Lord, thank You for welcoming me to join the praise. Help me to turn and welcome other to do the same, even as I long for Your return. In Jesus name. Amen.

Expectant 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 32.5 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.

O measureless might ineffable love

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

Again we see complementary qualities of our Lord set beside each other, might and love. He uses His might to display His love through our salvation which is proof of His rejoicing over us. We may struggle to communicate our response of love, but thankfully He does not.

While angels delight to worship Thee above

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne…the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelation 5:11-12 ESV

This is a beautiful, powerful picture of the worship of angels. They delight to do it, and rightfully so as He is worthy. Unparalleled in all creation.

The humbler creation though feeble their lays

…what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor. Pslam 8:4-5 ESV

Our songs are simply feeble compared to those offered by the angels on high. We are made a little lower than them, so our praise is not as magnificent as theirs. Still He has crowned us with glory and honor, not the least of which is the joy of offering Him praise.

With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise

…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11 ESV

How we long for that day when all creation will join us in the worship of the King! They may not choose to do so yet, but that day is coming when they will no longer have a choice. Every tongue will confess His worth. Hallelujah!

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.

O measureless might ineffable love
While angels delight to worship Thee above
The humbler creation though feeble their lays
With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise

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 Are You Offering Your Feeble Praise? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attribution
The humbler creation though feeble their lays – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/his-decoration-music-ears-show-3243259/
With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise – http://www.praise-and-worship.com/jesus-christ-second-coming.html

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Expressing the Inexpressible

O measureless might ineffable love

O measureless might ineffable love
While angels delight to worship Thee above
The humbler creation though feeble their lays
With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise

O Worship the King 1561
By: William Kethe (?-1594)

Listen to this modern version of this ancient hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. 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!!

Please enjoy this video and the transcript below.

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

As we continue our journey through this ancient hymn prepare to get in on the worship. If you are going to issue this call to worship with any authenticity you need to make certain you are engaged in worship. Let’s tune our hearts.

Ineffable?

Sometimes when we sing things written years ago we come across words that are more than a little unfamiliar. This last stanza has two, one in this first part and one in the last. We will take a look at “lays” on Thursday. But first, how would you define ineffable?

Since you know that it is an adjective describing God’s love you might have some guesses: ie. great, extravagant, free. Honestly though, this is one I had to look up. It means, “too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.” If there is a word in the English language that aptly expresses or describes the love of our King I think this just might be it. Ironic that it is a word that does a good job describing another word that can not be described!

God’s love is ineffable. True statement. And His might is measureless as well.

O measureless might ineffable love

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

Again we see complementary qualities of our Lord set beside each other, might and love. He uses His might to display His love through our salvation which is proof of His rejoicing over us. We may struggle to communicate our response of love, but thankfully He does not.

So great is His might there is simply no way to measure it. So extravagant is His love there is simply no way to express it. He brings together these two qualities in beauty and splendor and the angels lead the praise all creation will one day join. Thank Him for revealing them to you.

 

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider God’s might and love. We con not measure or express it, but we still try to do the latter. Make this your simple prayer today “God, thank You for revealing Your might and love to me.” 

Delight

While angels delight to worship Thee above

Not only do the angels worship our King, they delight to do so. And why wouldn’t they? After all, He is worthy.

Can you imagine what that scene must look like. Day after day from eternity past the angels offer their praise to the Father. So incredible are their voices they are often described as sounding like a trumpet. Equally other-worldly would be their appearance and the atmosphere of their heavenly praise.

Imagine how awe-inspiring their worship must be. No wonder Isaiah declared he was undone in the midst of it, and John struggled to describe it. They certainly worship because they should, but their delight reveals they worship because they want to.

While angels delight to worship Thee above

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne…the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelation 5:11-12 ESV

This is a beautiful, powerful picture of the worship of angels. They delight to do it, and rightfully so as He is worthy. Unparalleled in all creation.

Since the morning stars first sang His praise the angels have delighted to do likewise. We have a few glimpses in Scripture of what that looks like now, and what it will look like later. Give God praise for pulling back the veil of His heavenly throne room.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider what the angelic worship must look and sound like. We can imagine because He has given us some idea. Pray a simple prayer like this one, “Lord, I give You praise for describing the worship of Your angels.” Then give Him praise for welcoming you to join them.

God, thank You for letting me try to express how great your love is, even though I never will be able to entirely, nor can the angels that circle Your throne. Still yet, I will try. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Inspired 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 32.5 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.

O measureless might ineffable love
While angels delight to worship Thee above
The humbler creation though feeble their lays
With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise

So great is His might there is simply no way to measure it. So extravagant is His love there is simply no way to express it. He brings together these two qualities in beauty and splendor and the angels lead the praise all creation will one day join. Thank Him for revealing them to you.

God, thank You for revealing Your might and love to me.

Since the morning stars first sang His praise the angels have delighted to do likewise. We have a few glimpses in Scripture of what that looks like now, and what it will look like later. Give God praise for pulling back the veil of His heavenly throne room.

Lord, I give You praise for describing the worship of Your angels.

Scripture also bears out even more clearly that we are made a little lower than the angels. Accordingly, the praise we offer is humbler than theirs. Even still that does not stop us from offering the best we have now, even as we long for more. 

Spirit, help me offer my best praise today.

And more is coming. More and better praise by more of creation, frankly all of creation. We long for that day when every knee will bow and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord. May we praise Him now in such a way that many join us even before that Great Day arrives.

Jesus, help me praise You in a way that welcomes others to join.

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 Expressing the Inexpressible appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
O measureless might ineffable love – https://www.desktopbackground.org/wallpaper/god-backgrounds-wallpapers-zone-941972
While angels delight to worship Thee above – https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/400398223108836157/

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We are Frail, Feeble and Failing, But God is Firm

Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail
In Thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail
Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end
Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend

O Worship the King 1561
By: William Kethe (?-1594)

Listen to this worshipful version of this hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. 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.

As we continue our journey through this ancient text and hymn, think about how God’s care flows through the majestic and the minute. From grand vistas to the closest droplet of water it is everywhere. Do you have eyes to see it? Let’s think about this.

Tender and Firm

When do you most appreciate mercy? Whenever you need it!

Sometimes we are keenly aware of just how much we need mercy. We have fallen and failed and we have little hope of being able to get back up. Mercy extended from one who can help us up is appreciated, especially when that one has every right to withhold it.

Have you ever let someone down? Failed to follow through on a promise? Made a mistake that cost you some emotional capital? We have all been in need of mercy at some point. When the mercy extended is tender it is much easier to receive. But what about firm mercy?

There are at least two ways of thinking of firm. The first is sure, solidly in place and stable. That is the kind of mercy I have thrown my life toward. The kind of mercy I can count on when I need it most. God’s mercy.

The second is similar but just a little different, that is unlikely to change. This is a firm that is not dependent on my actions or merits but rather is independent and unyielding. How glad I am that can also be said of God’s mercy.

Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; Lamentations 3:22 ESV

We fail because we are frail. Thankfully, the same is not true of our God or His love for us. Even when we fail Him His love covers all those weaknesses because it is firm to the end. And yet it is also tender and gently helps us back up when we fall. There is no one like our King!

We also learn that God is not only trustworthy and unfailing, but also His mercy presents an unparalleled mixture of tenderness and firmness. Praise God His mercy is tender for there are many times we need it to be. And also praise Him that it is firm, never wavering.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and think about God’s mercy. It is tender and firm. Which expression of it do you most need today? Pray this simple prayer, “God, I praise You for mercy tender and firm.” Then through yourself at HIs mercy once again.

My Help

Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend

There is no single word that can fully describe this King, our King. This last line uses four different ones in an attempt to capture at least a glimpse of this One who is so unlike any other. Still we are left realizing we have barely scratched the surface of His value.

God has different names or titles because He meets us in so many different circumstances. They words used to describe Him help remind each of us of all the ways He has helped us before. What word or name of God is most meaningful to you today? It is probably different than the one you will be thankful for tomorrow.

Yet it will have this constant: It will be the most vibrant response to your greatest need. You generally will not need to ponder or think of it because it will be right on the tip of your tongue. He wants to help you.

Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend

For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. Isaiah 54:5 ESV

He made us, then made us His own. He gives us a choice, but why would anyone look for protection anywhere else? He redeems us from all our failings, and not just us, but the whole earth, demonstrating He is a friend to all, but especially those who love Him.

He made us. He defends us. He is redeeming us. And so much more! Why? Because He is our Friend. He is unwilling to leave us in our feeble and frail state, but makes a way for each of us to find rest and peace in Him if we will but acknowledge Him for who He is.

Lord, thank You for being my Friend.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider how God has helped you today, this week, this season. He knows what we need even better than we do, and longs to be the help we need. All of that flows from His desire to be our Friend. Pray simply, “Lord, thank You for being my Friend.“

Lord, thank You for every demonstration of mercy. When I stop long enough to ponder them I am overwhelmed by Your kindness to Me. You are my Help. In Jesus name. Amen.

Grateful 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 32.4 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.

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19 ESV

We are weak and frail. It does not take much living to reveal this truth and yet many remain in denial even as they breathe their last. Humble yourself before God. Confess how feeble you are and how much you need Him. He already knows it since He made us.

In Thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8 ESV

One of the ways we demonstrate our trust in God is looking to Him to lead us. He never fails us because there is no limit to His strength or His love. Will you listen for His love every morning, as opposed to just starting your day without Him? Wake up tomorrow and affirm your trust in Him.

Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; Lamentations 3:22 ESV

We fail because we are frail. Thankfully, the same is not true of our God or His love for us. Even when we fail Him His love covers all those weaknesses because it is firm to the end. And yet it is also tender and gently helps us back up when we fall. There is no one like our King!

Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend

For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. Isaiah 54:5 ESV

He made us, then made us His own. He gives us a choice, but why would anyone look for protection anywhere else? He redeems us from all our failings, and not just us, but the whole earth, demonstrating He is a friend to all, but especially 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.

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail
In Thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail
Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end
Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend

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 We are Frail, Feeble and Failing, But God is Firm appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attribution
Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end – https://pixabay.com/photos/man-fall-action-falling-1838330/
Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/help-information-problem-solution-1013700/

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Identity Mattters

Welcome to Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri–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.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined Share the Story of His Glow. This week we will examine Identity Matters.  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: Psalm 104:1-3 Amplified Bible

Proverbs 3:5-6 amplified

Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6 In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way waters.

Our trust in God is based on His identity. He is Adonai, Yahweh, Jehovah.  Period.

PSALM: O Worship the King 1561
William Kethe (?-1594); Robert Grant (1779-1838)

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail
In thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail
Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end
Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend

Grant proclaims that God’s mercy is tender, firm, and enduring. We can trust that God is our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. We can trust in His name, His character, and His being.

PARABLE: Identity matters. It brands us. It establishes how others see us. It determines how we see ourselves. In this world of identity theft, fake news, Photoshop, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms, we can’t always trust that someone is who they say they are or who their image portrays them to be. 

Instead of assuming what we see is true, we must let people GAIN trust and find themselves trustworthy. They must go through a trust hierarchy. The first level of trust is deterrence-based trust.  It is based on rules and consequences that govern behavior. This rules-based trust is the basic level of trust. The next level of trust is knowledge-based trust. It is based on experiences that add up to prove that you have enough knowledge of the person’s behavior to have a good idea of how they will react and behave. The final level of trust is identity-based trust. This is the most intimate level of trust and is based on relationship, the understanding of loyalty, acceptance, and understanding. It is reserved for the most important people in our lives. It is where we can be transparent and vulnerable. 

Identity-based trust is the kind of trust we can have in God. We can confidently rely on God our Creator to make a way for us, our Defender–to defend us in the battle of life, our Redeemer–to give us His redeeming grace and turn around our mistakes, and our Friend–to be our constant friend. Like a frail soldier being brought in from the battlefield leaning on his mates with each arm counting on them to bring him to safety, we can be certain and rest on the arms of the Holy Spirit and lean on the everlasting arms of Jesus to carry us to God our Refuge where we are safe!

Soul care training exercise:  Some areas of life are easier to trust God than in others. God’s name is trust. Take a moment and turn your attention to seeking the loving Presence of God. Ponder the question What part of God’s character am I most confident in – Maker, Defender, Redeemer, or Friend? Reflect and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you what God wants to say to you about how you most trust God’s identity within your life.

Notice without judgment and with a curious awareness of what comes to your mind. Invite God into your sanctified imagination. Ask Him to bring to your attention what He wants you to know.

  • Next scan your mind and notice what the Holy Spirit is sharing that you need to know, hear, or do to fully depend on God’s whole being with your whole being. Expand your thoughts, it may be something you never heard told this way before.
  • Finally, Focus on what you see and hear. Allow praise to form within you. Take a deep breath in and release a song unto the Lord.

PRAYER: Father, you are my Creator, my Defender, my Redeemer, and my Friend. Help me to trust your whole character with my whole being. Empower me to confidently rely on, confide in, trust in, secure my hope in, and lean into YOU.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to praise God for being a trustworthy Creator, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. Then take the mindfulness of God’s glorious glow in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Identity Matters appeared first on Resonant 7.

 

Image attributions:  Text art app with words added

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Trusting in a Strength Not Mine

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail
In Thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail
Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end
Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend

O Worship the King 1561
By: William Kethe (?-1594)

Listen to this modern version of this ancient hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. 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!!

Please enjoy this video and the transcript below.

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

As we continue our journey through this ancient hymn prepare to get in on the worship. If you are going to issue this call to worship with any authenticity you need to make certain you are engaged in worship. Let’s tune our hearts.

Feeble and Frail

What comes to mind when you read those two words? Your grandparents? Some other elderly person? Yourself?

Most of us would not use these words to describe ourselves, but that is precisely how the hymn writer sees us. Though you may feel pretty strong and tough, the reality is that strength is fleeting. We came from the dust and will return to it, so our perceived strength is at best temporary, and at least illusory.

Before you think the intent here is to discourage you let’s make it perfectly clear. The intent is to illumine your heart to the reality of your condition. Understanding and acknowledging how weak we are is the beginning of a marvelous journey in humility. Will you come along with us?

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19 ESV

We are weak and frail. It does not take much living to reveal this truth and yet many remain in denial even as they breathe their last. Humble yourself before God. Confess how feeble you are and how much you need Him. He already knows it since He made us.

If you have lived very long you can appreciate just how frail life is. We are not promised tomorrow but we are promised we will return back to the dust eventually. Where are you most aware of your weakness today. Thank God for that reminder, and that He meets you in it.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider how fleeting your perceived strength really is. We may feel strong, but how lasting is that strength really? Can you acknowledge your weakness before God and invite Him to meet you in it. Make this your simple prayer today “God, thank You for meeting me in my weakness.” 

Trusting God

In Thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail

Embracing our weakness is the first step in finding lasting strength. When we acknowledge the end of our strength we are prepared to look for another source. When we realize we are all but in the grave we can begin to look for a way to live. When we become aware of the surrounding darkness the search for lasting light begins in earnest.

If you are trusting in your strength, you will not likely be interested in another source. When you realize your strength is limited looking elsewhere takes on a whole new level of importance.Where are you in that continuum?

In Thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8 ESV

One of the ways we demonstrate our trust in God is looking to Him to lead us. He never fails us because there is no limit to His strength or His love. Will you listen for His love every morning, as opposed to just starting your day without Him? Wake up tomorrow and affirm your trust in Him.

Acknowledging how weak we are positions us to look beyond ourselves for strength. As we begin to trust in God we learn that His never fails. Our strength will fail us, but God never does. Have you placed your trust in Him and Him alone?

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider God’s unfailing strength and love. Will you put your trust in Him alone? Pray a simple prayer like this one, “Lord, help me place and keep my trust in You.” Then trust the Spirit to help you practice that every day.

God, thank You for giving me the opportunity to acknowledge my weakness. Your strength creates an environment where such an acknowledgment is possible. Thank You for that and the trust it inspires. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Trusting 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 32.4 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.

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail
In Thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail
Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end
Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend

If you have lived very long you can appreciate just how frail life is. We are not promised tomorrow but we are promised we will return back to the dust eventually. Where are you most aware of your weakness today. Thank God for that reminder, and that He meets you in it.

God, thank You for meeting me in my weakness.

Acknowledging how weak we are positions us to look beyond ourselves for strength. As we begin to trust in God we learn that His never fails. Our strength will fail us, but God never does. Have you placed your trust in Him and Him alone?

Lord, help me place and keep my trust in You.

We also learn that God is not only trustworthy and unfailing, but also His mercy presents an unparalleled mixture of tenderness and firmness. Praise God His mercy is tender for there are many times we need it to be. And also praise Him that it is firm, never wavering.

God, I praise You for mercy tender and firm.

He made us. He defends us. He is redeeming us. And so much more! Why? Because He is our Friend. He is unwilling to leave us in our feeble and frail state, but makes a way for each of us to find rest and peace in Him if we will but acknowledge Him for who He is.

Lord, thank You for being my Friend.

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 Trusting in a Strength Not Mine appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Frail children of dust and feeble as frail – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/grave-stone-graveyard-tombstone-3995099/
In Thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/light-tunnel-silhouette-woman-3920898/

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