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Mind Battles

Hello, my name is Sherri Woods and I will be your journey guide for Wednesday Wanderings. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, to wander means to move about leisurely without a fixed course or goal. The purpose of Wednesday Wanderings is to set aside time to allow Jesus to accentuate our creative mind and fill them with His truths. For Wednesday Wanderings, we will be journeying with Jesus into encounters to heal our mind, body, and soul. You may want to consider utilizing a journal to record what I have termed the “transformational conversations” of your venture.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome.

 

Now  that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey of examining what it means to Have a little talk with Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering we explored the components of a transformational conversation. This week we will  delve into battles of the mind. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue of mind talk with Jesus by stating:

” Jesus, I invite you to help me to wander aimlessly into your Presence where my mind, body, and soul can be transfigured. I welcome your truth and a holy encounter with your Word. Illuminate my spiritual senses that my eyes may see you, my ears may hear you, my body may feel you with me, and my heart may receive you.”

PROMISE: Our mind is where our thoughts develop into the actions that keep our hearts captive. If we want to experience transformational conversations with Jesus, it is necessary to acknowledge that our minds are battlefields and to seek a mind of Christ that will take our thoughts captive so our hearts can hold the evidence of freedom. Phillipians 4: 6-7 provides us with the remedy for the battles of our mind.

Phillipians 4:6-7 Amplified Version

6 Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything (every circumstance and situation) by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your (specific) requests known to God. 7 And the peace of God (that peace which reassures the heart, that peace) which transcends all understanding, (that peace which) stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (is yours).

The scripture instructs us not to BE anxious or worried. It does not say we won’t FEEL anxious or worried. It is human to experience the pain of anxiety that is created when our thoughts lie to us and handcuff us to self-reliance during difficult circumstances. When we are unable to separate our feelings from our being —anxiety and worry accost our hearts, sabotage our mind of Christ, and paralyze us with self-fulfilled future thinking.

PSALM:  The song writer of Just a Little Talk with Jesus  transparently shares the battles of his mind in his transformational conversation with Jesus.

Verse 3:
I may have doubts and fears, my eyes be filled with tears,
But Jesus is a friend who watches day and night;
I go to him in prayer, He knows my every care,
And Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right.

The writer acknowledges that thoughts of doubt and fear lead to tears. His confession demonstrates the importance of acknowledgement.  Acknowledging in our transformational dialogues with Jesus that we have anxious, fearful, doubtful, judgmental, and worrisome thoughts begins the process of casting our cares upon the one who cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Casting our cares will lead us to being sustained (Psalm 55:22) in peace and rest.

PARABLE:  Verse 3 introduces us to two of the four common battles of the mind. Thoughts become actions. Actions are guided by our feelings. Battles of our mind engage our emotional being to experience feelings of doubt, anxiety, confusion, and judgement.

Four Common Battles of the Mind

  • The Doubting Mind (indefinite in thoughts which manifest wavering and uncertainty)
  • The Anxious Mind (worried in thoughts which manifest fear)
  • The Confused Mind (deficient in wise thoughts which manifest doubt)
  • The Judgmental Mind (critical in thoughts which manifest suspicions)

The reflections of “what if”, the questions of “how”, the perceptions of uncertainty, and the rationalizations of suspicions paralyzes our PRESENT living.

The remedy to the battle of doubtful, anxious, confused, and judgmental thoughts and feelings is a Mind of Christ.

Phillipians 4:6-7 provides us with the strategies to demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we how to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

In every situation or circumstance to obtain a mind of Christ that is able to capture thoughts we are to:

  • Pray (Have a transformational talk with Jesus)
  • Make petitions (Ask for what you need Jesus to do with the battle in your mind)
  • Offer thanks (Use future thinking the right way to assure yourself that Jesus WILL care for you and your situation)
  • Continue to make specific requests (Tell God about your doubts and fears, invite Him into your tears and His peace will reassure your heart)

PONDER and WANDER:
When we deliberately take the time to wander aimlessly into the presence of  God we build our arsenal against the battles of the mind.

Photo courtesy of Christina Patterson www.belovedwomen.org

The Mind of Christ is obtained in His Presence through a life of prayer (transformational conversations with Jesus). We can use anxiety and worry as barometers. If a circumstance or situation is enough to bring worry or anxiety upon us, it is enough to pray about and cast upon Jesus. Know that any time, any place, in any situation Jesus is petitioning on your behalf to El Roi, the God who sees you.

Lets take some time to wander with Jesus and ponder a few questions. Take a few breaths in and out. In and out. As you breath in invite your spiritual imagination to become activated. As you breath out, release the clutter of concerns and anxieties. Breath in and out.

As you wander with Jesus, invite the Holy Spirit to sanctify your spiritual imagination. Now invite the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind the root of your doubtful, anxious, confused, and/or judgmental thoughts that you battle in your mind.  When you are ready, have a little talk with Jesus and ask and record the answers to the following questions.

  1. What is at the root of my doubt, anxiety, confusion, and/or judgement?
  2. When I feel doubtful, anxious, confused, or judgmental where do I feel it in my body?
  3. When I feel doubtful, anxious, confused, or judgmental what does it do to my mind?
  4. When I feel doubtful, anxious, confused, or judgmental what does it do to my soul?

Now that you are aware of these things, with your spiritual imagination view the baseball and baseball mitt. Imagine that the ball represents your cares. As you have a little talk with Jesus, throw them into His hands with the assurance that His hands are big enough to catch every care you throw at Him.

 

 

 

PRAYER: As you Watch the waterfall video invite the Holy Spirit to sanctify your spiritual imagination and pray this prayer. 

Water of Life flow within me today. Saturate me with your Presence. Like rushing waters, let your living water drown out the thoughts of anxiety, doubt, confusion, and judgment that attempt to accost my mind. I need you Lord Jesus to help me invite you into the situations and circumstances that feel antagonizing. I do not desire to BE anxious or worried about anything. I know that trust is the antagonist to the emotional upheaval that tries to capture my mind, body, and soul. Help me surrender my self-reliance and solutions to your purposed will and plan for my life. In your Presence I can walk through the shallow waters of every situation without sinking. In the name of Jesus, my mind regulator I pray, Amen.

PRAISE:

Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to offer a praise of thanksgiving. Let the work of your wandering transform your mind into a mind of Christ and the assurance that there is a remedy you CAN choose in the midst of every mind battle permeate your soul.

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.

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Fears and Tears…But Jesus

Doubts

I may have doubts and fears, my eyes be filled with tears,
  But Jesus is a friend who watches day and night.
I go to Him in prayer, He knows my every care,
  And just a little talk with my Jesus makes it right.

Just a Little Talk with Jesus
By: Cleavant Derricks (1909-1977)

Listen as you read.  This is an updated version of this old hymn.

Last week a little walk, this week a little talk.  Walking and talking with Jesus, spending time with Him, changes us and our perspective.  I hope you will take a little time today to tune your heart, and tomorrow as Dr. Sherri Woods returns with her second Wednesday Wanderings, a different look at the text we will use to tune today.  You can be certain of getting if you are on our list, since it will come directly to your email.  If you are not on our list, sign-up today in the box to the right.

Let’s tune our hearts!

I May Have…?

Our text today starts with those words.  “I may have doubts and fears”.  May have?  Will have!  Oh yes, I will have doubts and fears, but they will not have me.

It is important not to take things out of context.  These first two lines which we will use to tune today are really one thought.  I understand the writer is saying that though I may have doubts and fears, I also have Jesus, and that awareness changes everything.  We will be examine this more thoroughly, but I think it is valuable to consider the difference between having something and it having you.

We all have doubts.  We doubt others.  We doubt ourselves.  We even doubt God.  There is a difference between having doubts and doubts having you, and it is a very important distinction.  You see, to have a doubt means simply that you lack certainty in something that may actually be worthy of it.  This can be overcome as we allow God to replace our doubt with faith.

It is another matter altogether for doubt to have you.  By this I mean that rather than simply possessing some doubt, doubt possesses you.  It takes you captive.  It overwhelms and controls you, influencing you in ways of which you are not even fully aware.  It is possible to overcome even when doubt has you, but it is much more complicated and challenging.

Fears

The same is true of fear.

Like doubt, fear comes in a variety of packages and from a myriad of sources.  Those listed in the image here are not an exhaustive list, but you quickly get the gist of the different kinds of ways fear manifests in our lives, often masking itself in other feelings.  So what are the most prevalent feelings for you which show the underlying root of fear?  Helpless, worthless, powerless, inadequate, lost, shameful, etc.

Before we move on to consider the tears they cause, take just a few moments to recount some of the doubts and fear you have, and evaluate if any of them have you.  Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them and help you see them clearly.

Tears

We all have doubts.  We all have fears.  And those doubts and fears fill our eyes with tears on more than one occasion.  This is true not only for us, but all others who have professed our faith.  The Psalmist indicates as much on numerous occasions.  Here is one of the most common.

My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”  Psalm 42:3 ESV

Eye Filled with Tears

See, you are in good company with the very ones who experienced the inspiration of the Scripture.  Even they shed tears from doubts and fears.  Though it may not feel like much of a consolation now, as you reflect on this reality you will quickly see the universal condition of the human soul.  

Life has many challenges.  Many of them leave us feeling very powerless and small.  But we are never without hope.  We will examine why that is true as we tune our hearts to the truth of the next phrase, but first…

Take a few moments and have a little talk with Jesus about the tears you are shedding today or this season.  I am certain you do not have to think long and hard for these things tend to be near the surface, but ask Him to reveal anything that might be below the surface so you can deal with that pain and its’ causes. 

But Jesus…

So you have done a little inventory or the doubts and fears that are causing the tears in your life.  Let’s bring them to the One who cares for you.  Your friend.  Your shepherd.  Jesus.

Jesus is a Friend

I do not live in a society that is intimately familiar with shepherding so I do not have a deep experiential understanding of this illustration as used in the Scripture.  I can appreciate that Jesus watches over me not like one who is doing a job, but as one who has taken a personal interest in me, in you.

Over the years however I have learned some things about shepherding which have aided my understanding of this powerful image.  The most powerful one says a shepherd is willing to go to extreme measures to exercise his care for his sheep.  A lamb prone to wander must be taught stay near the shepherd to avoid danger.

If a lamb continues to wander, a good shepherd is willing to break the leg of the lamb and then carry it until it heals, so the lamb gets so used to the shepherds voice it will no longer wander.  That seems like going too far, but when you realize if could be the difference between life and death for the lamb, it seems less so.

The same is true for us.  I imagine there are some tears the Lord could spare us, but they are worthwhile if through the shedding of them, and the nearness to our Good Shepherd they foster, are are sparred much greater harm.  That possibility may give you a much better perspective on the things that have been the source of your tears.

Thank Jesus for being such a good shepherd that He would allow some pain to spare you far more.

Day and Night

Day and Night

Allow me to leave you with one final thought.

Jesus is eternally, continually vigilant in His care for you.  Even when you are sleeping, He never is.  Not only is He a good shepherd, but He is one who NEVER stops shepherding, even when you are asleep, or in many other ways unaware of His care.

…indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.   Psalm 121:4 (NIV)

That is hard for me to fathom, but I believe it is true.  Like that statue looking down upon Rio de Janeiro depicts, Jesus is watching us.   He never closes His eyes to us.  He never quits.  So I can always talk with Him since He is ever inclined to hear from me.  Hallelujah!

We will continue to warm our hearts with these truths as we continue considering our conversation with Jesus on Thursday and subsequent weeks, but be sure to take a few minutes and cultivate that heart to converse with Jesus through the video log and transcript below the prayer.  The video is available only to our Subscribers, but the transcript is available to everyone.  Become a Subscriber today.  Simply click here.

Restful Tuning!

Jesus, I have my share of doubts and fears, and they cause me many tears, but You are always watching over me.  I believe this, but I pray you will help me walk with a greater awareness of that, especially in those moments when I may be tempted to act like it is not true. In Jesus name.  Amen.

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

Video 8.2 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 may have doubts and fears, my eyes be filled with tears,
  But Jesus is a friend who watches day and night.
I go to Him in prayer, He knows my every care,
  And just a little talk with my Jesus makes it right.

I love the honesty of the opening line.  We all have doubts and fears and things that bring us to tears.  What sets the believer apart is that we can take all those things to Jesus.  What do you need to bring to Jesus today?

There is no friend like Jesus. This reminds me of His suffering in the Garden of Gethsamane when He asked His disciples to watch and pray but they kept falling asleep.  Thank Jesus that He is always watching over you. 

Because He is always watching over you, He knows your every care, even the ones you have trouble articulating.  Fortunately, the Spirit helps you even when you do not have the words to speak. Maybe you need some help like that right now?

I love the idea of a “little” talk.  Many words are not needful. Like sitting with a friend who knows you so well that few words get the job done.  Some of the together time is spent just being. Spend a few moments right now with Jesus.

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
Doubts – https://pixabay.com/photos/depression-sadness-man-2912424/
Fears – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/fear-emotion-anxiety-vulnerability-2083651/
Eyes Filled with Tears – https://pixabay.com/photos/eye-tear-cry-sadness-pain-emotion-609987/
Jesus is a Freind – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/angst-anxiety-anguish-apprehension-802639/
Day and Night – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-christ-redeemer-231724/

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Lord, You Care

Toil

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
   If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
   None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

Just a Closer Walk with Thee
 By: Anonymous

Listen as you read.  This is a great gospel guitar version.

As we established in our Tunings on Tuesday (find it here), God cares for us, even when no-one else seems to.  Who can question this, especially when we are the source of the faltering, but even then the Lord cares for us.  Let’s think about this.

Toils and Snares

Immediately I think of the similar line from Amazing Grace which speaks about “dangers, toils and snares”.  We examined these challenges earlier this year in both a Tunings and a Thoughts.  You can find them at those links.

For our purposes here I want to look at this a little differently.  Or rather I want to look at one aspect we considered in the aforementioned Tunings a little deeper.  That aspect is the reality that all the things that tempt me to wander away from the Lord come from one of three sources.

  1. The World
  2. The Flesh
  3. The Devil

Within that context we acknowledge the toils and snares I face, whether of my own design or someone else’s, are sometimes avoidable and always able to be overcome.

Avoidable

Some of the toil we face is actually our own design.  Take the poor sap in the image above.  I imagine he feels like he needs to turn that gear, either out of some obligation to someone else, because it is his duty, or maybe for no good reason.  I also have to imagine that he probably resents it at some level because it appears futile.  There is no end in sight and no apparent benefit to all the work.

Resistible

I think I made up that word.  You get what I mean by it, right?  Though things sometimes seem irresistible, or unable to be resisted, nothing is truly irresistible.  That means everything is “resistible” or capable of being resisted.

Snare

It is possible to resist, but it is certainly not easy.  Say your are hungry and you come across a lovely piece of cheese laid out there for the taking.  Seems simple enough, grab it and go.  You reach out to take it and SNAP!, you are caught, if not broken it two.

Obviously, someone set that trap, and it must had been alluring.  But it was also avoidable and resistible.  I could have chosen to walk away.  Alas, there may very well be another one around the corner.  Unfortunately, it seems I can not escape them all, even with the utmost exercise of determination.

Now it is just painful.  And snares normally are that, as well as dangerous.  I mean look at that poor finger.  It is turning purple and blue.  My soul has turned purple and blue, and yours has too, even as you writhed to escape the snare.  Remember that feeling?  It is an awful feeling.  And it is compounded by the fact that it was all avoidable and resistible were it not for the world, the flesh and the Devil, particularly our flesh.

The world and the Devil usher in no shortage of toils and snares, but if were not for my flesh, they would be avoidable and resistible.  My flesh is the weak link here.  If we were on our own to face this predicament it would be pretty depressing.  But fortunately we are not.  More on that in a moment.

 If I Falter

Though the writer uses the the word “if” here to describe the possibility of my faltering, I know that a more accurate choice would have been to use not “if” but “when” to describe the certainty of my faltering.  Unless we learn to identify and then avoid or resist the toils and snares, we will end up in a lot of trouble and no shortage of pain.  Take heart there is some help available on that front.  More on that in a moment.

Falter

What makes our faltering even worse is that not only do we already feel foolish for not seeing the traps beforehand, but we sometimes find that others are scoffing at our failure to do so.  Adding insult to injury as the old adage goes, they not only failure to care to address the injury but do not mind adding insult to the pain.

You probably are very familiar with the emotion associated with the question asked here.  “If I falter, Lord, who cares?” Think of a time when you were painfully aware of that feeling.  That awareness creates a backdrop for your gratitude to blossom when you realize that even though there will be moments when no one else cares the Lord always does.  More on that in a moment.

We all falter, and truthfully far more often than we would like to admit.  But when we do, thankfully God does not join in the finger-pointing but rather reaches out a hand to help us.  That hand looks different based on the help the Lord is providing.

Sometimes it is a hand of compassion when we are hurting.  Sometimes it is a hand of correction when we have done wrong.  Sometimes a hand of direction when we have lost our way.  Always it is a hand of caring.  Unmistakeable caring.

Lord You Care

Lord You Care

We are often like little children who have simply lost our way in a dark and dangerous world.  Sometimes we are willful in our stumbling and bumbling, but children are too.  Fortunately for us, Jesus cares and is willing to meet us wherever we are, if we will simply reach out to Him.

This is a very powerful image.  It illustrates for us our predicament and Jesus’ solution.  He cares so He steps in our darkness and guides us toward the light.  His care in and of itself is a huge part that changes the situation, even before we go very far, just knowing He is with us and for us.

We are all tempted at times to honestly ask the question, “Lord who cares?”  But we must also be willing to be equally honest and confess the Lord has said He does over and over again, not to mention the many ways He has also demonstrated that in our lives.  Take this Scripture for instance.

Though the Lord is high above all, he cares for the lowly.
    Though he is in heaven above, he sees them on earth below.  Psalm 138:6 (NIRV)

Many times I have experienced the power of this promise.  Even when the cause of what drove me to the low place was of my own design, Jesus still saw me and cared for me.  He sees you too.

And how about this expression of His care.

 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.  Psalm 34:18  (ESV)

He is near to us and He saves us.  Who can find a better expression of His care? Use the podcast below, available to everyone today, to spend a few more minutes thinking about this powerful truth and allowing it to resonate in your mind, even as you work to remove the things that might otherwise dampen it.

Jesus, thank You for Your consistent care, even in the face of my consistent faltering.  Teach me anew today that I can rest in your care for me.  Help me to acknowledge Your many expressions of it, so I may find my mind overwhelmed by the cacophony of care You sound into my life each day.  Make me resonant! In Jesus’ name.   Amen.

Careful Thinking!

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EVERYONE enjoy this podcast and the transcript below!

Podcast 7.2 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.

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,

Psalm 140:5 ESV

The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net; beside the way they have set snares for me.

Whether toil I choose to engage in, or snares others lay to catch me, this is a troublesome world.  There are dangers all around and we must be diligent to stay out of them. Ask Jesus to help you identify toils and snares and then help you to avoid them whenever you can.

  If I falter, Lord, who cares?

 Psalm 138:6 (NIRV)
Though the Lord is high above all, he cares for the lowly,
  Though he is in heaven above, he sees them on the earth below.

The Lord cares for us, even when no else seems to.  Though He is high He is not far off, but near. His perspective allows Him to see us and enables Him to act in a way that demonstrates His care.  Thank Jesus for caring for you, even at the times you did not know it.

Who with me my burden shares?

 Psalm 55:22(ESV)
Cast your burden on the Lord,
  and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
  the righteous to be moved. 

What burdens have you weighed down today?  Will you cast them on the Lord? Maybe you are weary of trying to sustain yourself.  Use that energy instead to actively give your concerns to God so you can know His sustaining power.  Ask Him to help you do that routinely.

  None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

Matthew 11:28-30(ESV)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

What a gracious invitation, which at the same time is a beautiful reminder that the Lord cares for us.  If you want rest from your toils and snares, someone to faithfully share your burdens, then come and take a closer walk with Jesus.  Ask Him to help you stay one step behind Him.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
   If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
   None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

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
Toil – https://pixabay.com/photos/a-human-evertebrat-side-view-3151524/
Snares – https://pixabay.com/photos/mistake-mouse-trap-foolish-hurt-2344150/
Falter – https://pixabay.com/photos/loser-failure-finger-suggest-board-3096225/
Lord You Care – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-christ-journey-forest-child-3618220/

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Come to the Burden-Bearer

Burdens

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
   If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
   None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

Just a Closer Walk with Thee
 By: Anonymous

Listen as you read.  This is a great gospel guitar version.

We swing the pendulum back to Just a Closer Walk with Thee and turn our focus to cultivating an awareness of God’s presence with us through all the different circumstances of life.  Because this stanza asks two huge questions which are both answered in the closing line, I want to begin with the latter half so we answer the question today and not allow it to linger from Tuesday to Thursday unanswered.  Let’s tune our hearts.

Burdens

First let us establish that we all have burdens.  They vary at different points in our lives, different stages, and change in their intensity and duration, but burdens are universal.  We all have them.

So the hymn strikes a chord with every honest soul.  We have all wondered what the answer to this question is at times.  There are seasons when we are confident that at least a few of the people closest to us would rally to our aid, but there are also times when each of us feels like the figure above.  At least a little hopeless.  Weary from the struggle of carrying our burden, we drop it to the ground and take a seat to rest and ask the question again.  Who will share this burden with me?

  • What’s Inside?

    What does your burden look like today?

I imagine you do not have to think long or hard.  It probably is plain and simple.

  • How are you managing that burden today?

Maybe you are muddling through.  Maybe you are handling it, sort of.  Maybe you are completely overwhelmed.

Jesus will help you.  Do you know that?  If you do, do you practice it?  That is to say, do you take your burdens to Jesus and ask for help?  If so, good.  If not, why not?

Maybe it is because you are not fully convinced that Jesus will actually help you with your burden.  Oh sure, you have faith enough to believe He would help others, but you remain unconvinced that He would help you.  So let’s take a few moments and put that to rest.  And there really is the key.  Rest.

Shared

You are not alone.  Jesus is with you and wants to help you with your burden.   Consider a couple Scriptures.

 Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.  Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

So your responsibility is simply to cast your burden on the Lord.  What does He do in return?  Sustains you.  Did you notice how the focus shifted first from the burden to the Lord, then to His work in you, not so much with the burden?  That is a very important realization.

Take a few moments and ask the Holy Spirit to help you cast your burden on Him.

Now get ready.  An incredible exchange is about to take place as we take Jesus at His word.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

Wearisome Yokes

Jesus invites all the weary and heavy laden to come to Him and find rest.  Sounds good so far right.  But wait, He then encourages us to take His burden, in the form of a yoke which represents His teaching, and encourages a life which reflects His, resulting in, yep, rest.

How does that work exactly? Well, most burdens look a lot like the ones the person is carrying here.   Even the ones we craft for ourselves are often unwieldy.  And when we let others add to them the situation quickly becomes unmanageable, even for he strongest among us.  His burden actually ushers in rest.  How so? His burden is light, as opposed to all others which are not.

And what does His burden look like?  Probably a whole lot like a cross.  Why do I say that?  Because that is how Jesus described the burden we should carry.

Take Up Your Cross

And he (Jesus) said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.   Luke 9:23 (ESV)

And He carried it first.  He set the example for us.  He carried the weight the Father had marked out for Him.  So we can with confidence do the same.

None But Thee

Who will share your burden? None but Thee.

Emphatic repetition.  None but Thee.

While this at first may seem like a bit of a downer. it is simply the honest truth of God’s faithfulness as it compares to the faithfulness of any and every other entity, well-intentioned or not.  God will help us bear our burden, and lift us when we falter, but more on the latter on Thursday.   I hope you will come back and tune with us again, but for today make certain to enjoy the resources below which are companions to these Tunings.

Restful Tuning!

Jesus, I know You will help me bear my burdens.  You have done it before and I am confident you will do it again.  You are faithful and so I entrust my life, burdens and all into your gracious care.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

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Subscribers enjoy this video! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Video 7.2 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.

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
   If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
   None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

What an apt description of this weary word through which we wander.  What difficulties and traps are you facing today? Ask Jesus to reveal them, and help you through each one. 

I have a friend who likes to quip “Nobody cares”  when people ask “How are you doing?” While I generally take issue with him on this, the hymn writer seems to be agreeing with that sad assessment.  Ask God to help you be honest, especially when you are crying out to Him.

God can handle even the toughest questions.  He may not make His answer quick or obvious, but even asking Him the questions is a demonstration of your faith in action.  What tough questions do you need to ask God today?

We can cast our cares on Him, because He cares for us.  He will never turn us away. Even when we are not faithful, He is.  Give your burdens to Him right now and be confident He will share them with 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.

Image Attributions
Burdens – https://pixabay.com/photos/holzfigur-stones-hopeless-stranded-980802/
What’s Inside? – https://pixabay.com/vectors/bag-sack-jute-brown-goods-156120/
Weary – https://pixabay.com/photos/boxes-cardboard-carrying-overload-2624231/
Take Up Your Cross – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-christ-cross-cross-carry-1248835/

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Made Whole By Love From Above

Bathed My Heart in Love

I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in
   And then a little light from heaven filled my soul
He bathed my heart in love and He wrote my name above
   And just a little talk with Jesus makes me whole

Just a Little Talk with Jesus
By: Cleavant Derricks (1909-1977)

Listen as you read.  This is an updated version of this old hymn.

On Tuesday we continued our walking and talking journey with Jesus by remembering how He took us in  and filled our souls with light when we were lost in sin.  It is so easy to move past that conversation with Jesus and forget how significant it was, but that talk leads to other ones. Let’s think about this.

Bathed in Love

God took the initiative in our redemption, and we responded.  He continues to take initiative and we continue to respond, or at least we should.  Jesus is always reaching out to us.  He wants to talk with us because He knows that a little talk with Him makes us whole.

When He took us in, He granted us access to the throne of grace.  He bathed our hearts in love so we would have confidence to approach Him whenever we have a need.  And we have need of Him always.

Think of a time when you called out to Jesus.  Often we cry out in desperation, sometimes because we have tried every other remedy and nothing else worked.  As a last resort we turn to Jesus.

What a difference it would make if we would instead choose to talk to Jesus first.  Unfortunately, we tend to talk to ourselves, or others before we go to the One who has the remedy.  Little talks with Jesus are exactly what we need, and precisely what He has offered to us.  His love ensures us that He is for us.  So let’s avail ourselves of that access and learn the blessing of talking to Jesus all the time.

Wrote My Name Above

What better expression of love could there be than having our names written in the Lamb’s book of life?  We have that access because we have been accepted on the merit of Christ.  The effect of Jesus taking us in, filling our souls with light, and bathing our hearts in love is that we are pardoned.

Wrote My Name Above

When was the last time you thought about this reality, that your name has been written in the book of life?  When was the last time you talked to Jesus about that?  Why not talk to Him right now?

Tell Him how if makes you feel to know you have been pardoned of all your sins and have an eternal home with Jesus.  Tell Him what you think about when you try to imagine what that existence will be like, forever in His presence.  Ask Him to help you spend little more time thinking about that, and a little less time thinking about all the things that normally consume your mental processes.

Hopefully that little talk just now oriented you a little differently toward all the things you are facing today.  Hopefully that little talk ushered in an awareness of the wholeness that is your eternal inheritance, beginning that moment you had that first little talk with Jesus.  Can you recall that?

Made Whole

Little Talk with Jesus

On Tuesday in the video log I rehearsed a bit of what that first conversation felt like for me.  If you missed it, and the moments of guided reflection with it, Subscribers and Free Members can see it here, and everyone else can read the transcript below the video.  Jesus met me there like the young man in this image.   He made Himself accessible and I have never been the same.

I am absolutely still a work in progress, but He made me whole.  In other words, I am still working out my experiential understanding of what took place in the first little talk with Jesus.  I often say I am not what I once was, nor am I yet what I will be.  Little talks with Jesus are a huge part of this ongoing transformation.

Have a little talk with Jesus today.  Have several.  And keep having them.  They will make you whole!

Jesus, thank You that I can talk with You.  Help me to make that my first resort, as opposed to some version of my last resort, until my initial inclination is to talk with you about everything.  Thank You bathing my soul in love.  May the knowledge that my name is written in the book of life cause it to happen again today, even as it is expressed daily in the wholeness that it makes mine  In Jesus’ name.   Amen.

Transformative Thinking!

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Subscribers enjoy this podcast and the transcript below!

Podcast 8.1 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 once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in

Romans 5:8 ESV 

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Every one of us was separated from God because of our sin, and we did not even know it until the Holy Spirit opened our eyes to God’s love, and our need for it.  Are you thankful Jesus took you in? Tell Him.

    And then a little light from heaven filled my soul

1 John 1:7 ESV

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

We were stumbling around lost in the darkness of sin when the light of heaven filled our souls.  Now we can walk in His light because He has cleansed us from sin. Ask Him to help you walk in that light today. 

He bathed my heart in love and He wrote my name above

Revelation 20:12 ESV

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

Not only do we get to walk in the light today, but every day for the rest of eternity because He wrote our names in the book of life.  Because Jesus took us in, we are judged according to what He has done. Give Him praise.

    And just a little talk with Jesus makes me whole

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

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.

We were able to approach the throne of grace with confidence that first time, and every subsequent time, because Jesus has given us access.  Keep talking to Jesus every time you need mercy and grace. Tell Him your need today?

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 once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in
   And then a little light from heaven filled my soul
He bathed my heart in love and He wrote my name above
   And just a little talk with Jesus makes me whole

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
Bathed My Heart in Love – https://pixabay.com/photos/faith-love-hope-hands-contact-3772000/
Wrote My Name Above – https://itabaza.org/ububiko-bwamabanga-yabatuye-isi-buri-mwijuru/book/
Little Talk with Jesus – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/420594052672016226/?lp=true

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