I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies, No sudden rending of the veil of clay, No angel visitant, no opening skies, But take the dimness of my soul away.
Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart By: George Croly, 1780-1860
Listen as you read. This is a nice string quartet version.
On Tuesday we considered the first two lines of this stanza, and began our examination of what we need not ask of God. We continue that today and then turn the corner to what we do need to ask of Him. Interesting, the things we are purposed to NOT ask for are primarily external, while the one need is internal. Let’s think about this.
No Angel Visitant
The next item or experience on our list of things we shall not ask of God: and angel visit. How do you imagine that occurring? Something like the image above?
When I think of angel visits a number of different ones come to mind: Abraham, Mary, and Joseph, to name a few. The greatest angel visit so far in history though was undoubtedly that over the manger in Bethlehem that heralded our Savior’s birth.
Angels Over Bethlehem
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ““Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:13-14ESV
No Opening Skies
This angelic appearance was also an opening of the skies, like the time Jacob saw angels going up and down a ladder out of heaven, but there are other times when the skies opened where no angels are mentioned. The skies opened up for Moses when God came down on the mountain during the Exodus. The skies opened at Jesus’ baptism, a voice from was heard and the Holy Spirit settled on Him, but no angels. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus. And there are more.
Opening Skies
What they all have in common, open skies with or without angels, is that God is doing something extraordinary in each occurrence to reveal something about Himself, His purposes or His. Maybe if an angel visited us, or God suddenly pulled the heavenly curtain back so we could see His glory, that would solve our problem. What the hymn is saying again though is to NOT ask for these things, extraordinary as they may be. Instead ask for something even better.
What do you think? If angel appeared to you, or the skies opened, do you think you could continually draw off that experience to discern the Spirit’s work? I think I would be inclined to let the wonder of that moment fade. As clearly as I may have seen God in that moment, I think I would loose that clarity over time. So I would agree with the prayer of this hymn that there is something better.
Clarity of Soul
And finally here it is. The problem is not external, but internal. So the solution will not manifest initially externally, but internally.
God reveals Himself in a myriad of ways every single day. Our soul simply often fails to be aware enough to grasp it. What we really need is to have the dimness of our soul replaced with a keenness of soul.
Brightness of Soul
With regard to the eyes, dimness often means not bright or clear. With regard to the soul, in similar fashion to the mind, dimness means slow to understand, or simply lacking the capacity to discern.
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14ESV
So the writer gets to what he does want, clarity of soul, something that is impossible apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. Our souls are dim, slow to grasp the surpassing greatness of our God. Ask the Spirit to help you understand His work and ways by sharpening the aptitude or brightness of your soul.
Spirit, I acknowledge that I do not need angel visits or opening skies. What I need is clarity of soul. Remove the things that cause my soul to be dim so that I may live with a keen awareness of Your presence with me. In Jesus name. Amen.
Bright Thinking!
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Podcast 6.2 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.
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
This stanza contrasts the things for which we often long because they appear so desirable, with the thing for which we should truly long. The first three lines focused on the things we determine to not ask for, in this first line, dreams and visions. Determine to not seek them.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away…For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Our flesh impairs our ability to clearly see the things of the Spirit. Though it would be wonderful to experience an abrupt tearing of the curtain the flesh creates so we could discern the things of the Spirit, like we will one day, the hymn chooses not to ask for this either. Can you come to terms with having to deal with the weaknesses of the flesh?
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ““Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Angels are often mentioned in the Scriptures, and the skies opened to show something of God’s purposes on more than one occasion, never quite like this moment over Bethlehem pastures. Even still, there is something we would prefer even more in regard to the Spirit’s work. Can you imagine that?
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
And finally the writer gets to what he does want, clarity of soul, something that is impossible beyond the work of the Spirit. Our souls are dim, slow to grasp the surpassing greatness of our God. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand His work and ways.
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.
I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies, No sudden rending of the veil of clay, No angel visitant, no opening skies, But take the dimness of my soul away.
Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies, No sudden rending of the veil of clay, No angel visitant, no opening skies, But take the dimness of my soul away.
Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart By: George Croly, 1780-1860
Listen as you read. This is a nice string quartet version.
So our stanza this week takes through a list of things we at first might be inclined to seek, but instead offers us a better alternative when considering the work and presence of the the Holy Spirit. There are some interesting images conjured through the list and we will consider each as we tune and think. Won’t you come along as we continue to consider how we might welcome the work of the Heaven-Descended Dove?
No Dream
Look at the little one sleeping peacefully. All snuggled up and ready for a night of rest. Maybe there are visions of sugar plums dancing in her head…maybe not. What’s wrong with asking for a dream?
This is an interesting stanza, left out of many occurrences of the hymn. It is a litany of things we do not want which builds to a crescendo culminating in the thing we do truly need. In lieu of what we really need, God give us no nightly visions, or prophetic thrills. What makes it interesting is that dreams, visions and prophesies are actually promised by God when He pours out HIs Spirit in the last days.
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; Acts 2:17 ESV
Though they are promised, we will not ask for them. Why? Because there is something better in the estimation of the writer. What is that something? Well, interestingly it is something that seems far less dramatic than all the things this stanza commits to NOT ask for.
No Prophet Ecstasies
And prophet ecstasies, those can be pretty dramatic. Even though they should always line up with Scripture and point us to Christ and His cross, this faith we have has a prophetic side to it. Take for instance the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2 when he mentions knowing a man who was taken up to the third heaven. Say what?That sounds like a pretty incredible journey, yet we are invited to ask the Lord NOT to give us these kinds of ecstatic, prophetic experiences. Why? Because there is something even better we can ask for according to the writer. What is that something? Well, let’s keep going.
Veil of Clay
First, clay does not make a very good veil, unless of course you want to see nothing at all through it. Second, that is exactly what the stanza is referencing, but obviously there is no actual clay involved in the imagery created. We are the clay, or more specifically our flesh.
No Sudden Rending
Our flesh is a great weakness. It seems it would have helped if when sin was defeated, our flesh would have been eradicated, or at least torn to pieces, but God had other designs. He chose to put something of inestimable value, the light of the Gospel, in these jars of clay that are our bodies, as in says in 2 Corinthians 4:7. To that end, it seems like tearing the curtain of or flesh so that the Gospel can be put on full display would be a great idea.
And then there is the other perspective. Not only does our flesh keep others from seeing the Gospel, it keeps us from seeing clearly the things of the Spirit. It mars our perspective and limits our clarity. Though it often keeps us from seeing him clearly, ask God to help you trust His better way and better time to address it the veil of clay that is your flesh. Do NOT ask Him to shred it so you can simply see more clearly, though you long for that day.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away…For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:9-10-12ESV
Submit your life to the Potter’s Hands again today (Isaiah 64:8), and ask for something better. What? We will think about that on Thursday after we consider a couple more things NOT to ask for.
Happy Tuning!
Spirit of God, I choose to forego asking for dreams and visions, so I can simply know the power of Your presence. I choose to trust you to work through this earthen vessel, though I would love to be free of its clouding weaknesses. Teach me what to ask for today. Jesus name. Amen.
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Video 6.2 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 ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies, No sudden rending of the veil of clay, No angel visitant, no opening skies, But take the dimness of my soul away.
This is an interesting stanza, left out of many occurrences of the hymn. It is a litany of things we do not want which builds to a crescendo culminating in the thing we do. In lieu of what we really want, give us no nightly visions, or prophetic thrills.
Our flesh is a great weakness. It seems it would have helped if when sin was defeated, the flesh would have been eradicated, or at least torn to pieces, but God had other designs. Though it often keeps us from seeing him clearly, ask God to help you trust His better way to address it.
Maybe if an angel visited us, or God would pull the heavenly curtain back so we could see His glory, that would solve our problem. Still the hymn writer believes there is a better remedy. Will you wait for God to work His plan?
And finally here it is. The problem is not external, but internal. God reveals Himself in a myriad of ways. Our soul simply often fails to be aware enough to grasp it. Ask the Holy Spirit to sharpen the aptitude of your soul.
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 No Dream – Image by stine moe engelsrud from Pixabay No Prophet Ecstasies – Image by congerdesign from Pixabay No Sudden Rending – https://gfycat.com/alertfirsticeblueredtopzebra
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart; Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move. Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art, And make me love Thee as I ought to love.
Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart By: George Croly, 1780-1860
Listen as you read. This is a nice string quartet version.
On Tuesday we considered the first and last lines of this stanza, centered in on inviting the Spirit to come and pour God’s love into our hearts. Today as we examine the middle two lines we will wrestle with the our weakness and the opportunity it presents for the allures of this world, even as we continue the invite the Spirit to move in every pulse of our hearts. Let’s think about this.
Weaned from Earth
Weaning is a painful process. It speaks to the gradual removal of something that we felt at some point and in some measure we had to have, but have since realized otherwise. It is like working to break a bad habit, at least in terms of the effort required and the pain caused.
One use of wean means to free from an unusually unwholesome habit or interest. This gets a little closer to what the writer is asking of the Holy Spirit. The flesh is inclined to unwholesome habits and interests and pursues them diligently among the materials of earth.
Weaned Through Affliction
I think to some extent we really do not know what we are asking for in this noble, earnest prayer. The end will be truly beneficial, but the means by which we will likely get there will likely be difficult. Charles Spurgeon put it this way, “The Lord’s mercy often rides to the door on the black horse of affliction. Jesus uses the whole range of our experiences to wean us from earth and woo us to Heaven.”
So we ask the Holy Spirit to wean us from earth and His answer just may come in the form of affliction. That experience generally strips away what we thought mattered and gets us to desire what actually does. As we transfer our longing from earthly things to Heavenly ones, we find a very different rhythm to living.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16ESV
Those longings for the things of earth effectively make us sick, without even knowing it. Walking in the Spirit, allowing Him to direct every pulse of our intellect, will and emotions, is the antidote for this malady. Ask Him to be that for you today.
Pulsating with the Spirit
Pulse of the Spirit
Being weaned from earth and pulsating with the Holy Spirit are two sides of the same coin. The more we invite the Spirit to beat in our hearts, the less we are inclined to long for the things of earth. But conversely, the more we long for the things of earth, the less we are inclined to invite the Spirit to beat in our hearts.
So it becomes a decision of the mind, an act of the will, to pursue a better path. One marked by the rhythm of the Spirit. Oh, that the Holy Spirit would help our hearts to manage without some of the things of earth of which we have become increasingly fond. Oh, that we would sense His presence moving through every pulse of our hearts. Ask Him for these things.
Sounds easy, right? Wrong!
If you have walked with Jesus for any length of time you know better. How? By experience.
Stoop to My Weakness
The Spirit Stoops Like Lincoln Here
You have likely experienced the frustration of knowing what to do, but lacking the power to do so. But the truth is we do not lack the power, we simply fail to tap into it. Because the Spirit is like Abraham Lincoln in this image. This quote has been attributed to numerous people so I am uncertain as to who said it, but it illustrates what God has already done and is continually willing to do: stoop down to help us since He is familiar with how weak we are.
We are weak, but He is strong. What perfect vessels to put His glory on full display, ones that can truly take no credit for the work He does in them! Humble yourself, by admitting your weakness, and His strength. Receive the power He has already made available to you. Not certain that power is available to you? Consider this Scripture.
All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV
The Spirit works in us to produce fruit that is beneficial for our lives and those around us, including the Church. We need His empowering because we are weak. He gives to each according to His will. Ask Him to give you power from on high to engage in God’s will and work.
Spirit, I realize I do not really know what I am asking for when I express my desire to be weaned from earth, knowing You pulsing through every beat of my heart, but I know I need it. I know I am weak, and that I need Your strength. Put it on display in my life as I learn daily to depend on You. In Jesus name. Amen.
Deliberate Thinking!
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Below is content available only to Subscribers and Free Members. Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here. Or check out some samples at our Free Member Content Library. We have lots of tools and lots of options designed to help you be Resonant! Check them out today!!
Subscribers AND Free Members enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.
Podcast 6.1 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.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
The heart is the seat of our intellect, will and emotions. When we ask the Holy Spirit to settle on our hearts, we are asking Him to teach us, and bring to remembrance everything Jesus said. Ask the Spirit to instruct your intellect, will and emotions.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
One use of wean means to free from an unusually unwholesome habit or interest. The flesh is inclined to those very things and searches for them among the materials of earth. Walking in the Spirit, allowing Him to direct every pulse of our intellect, will and emotions, is the antidote for this malady. Ask Him to be that for you today.
All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
The Spirit works in us to produce fruit that is beneficial for our lives and those around us, including the Church. We need His empowering because we are weak. He gives to each according to His will Ask Him to give you power from on high to engage in God’s will and work.
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
What a beautiful image this evokes! God’s love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We are incapable of loving God as we ought to without His help. We may approximate it but we will always fall short. Ask the Spirit to help you love 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.
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart; Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move. Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art, And make me love Thee as I ought to love.
Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart; Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move. Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art, And make me love Thee as I ought to love.
Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart By: George Croly, 1780-1860
Listen as you read. This is a nice string quartet version.
We begin our journey to greater spiritual resonance with some new material again this week. The first line mentions our hearts specifically and the last focuses in on loving so we will begin there with today’s Tuning. On Thursday we will use our minds to think about what it means to ask the Spirit to wean us from the things of earth and empower us with His might. But first, let’s tune our hearts.
Spirit Descend
Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
The obvious place to begin our Tuning is the start of Jesus ministry, moment the Holy Spirit came down and settled on Him at His baptism. (Luke 3:21-22) It was a confirmation of the pleasure of the Father in His Son. The Spirit descended on Christ as a sign, not to do the work for which we need Him.
And what is that work? To teach us all things and to remind us of everything Jesus has said, as recorded in John.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26ESV
We are welcoming the Holy Spirit to come and do that work when we sing “descend upon my heart”. We want Him to come and make His nest in our intellect, will and emotions. We want Him to rest there.
And this is not a once in a while kind of request. We need to routinely, but not in a religious way going through the motions, sincerely invite Him to come. To come down from on high. To make His home in the center of all that we are.
So do you do that? Do you ask Him every day, several times a day constantly throughout the day to descend on your heart? He wants to teach you new things and remind you of things you already know. Ask Him right now to come and do His work in you. Ask Him to teach you things you do not know, and remind you of things you do.
Seriously, do that right now. And determine to do it regularly.
Asking Him to come is extending the invitation to teach and remind, but it is so much more than that.
Make Me Love You
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.
The last line is an interesting one. It seems counterintuitive with regard to love. How can God make us love Him? Is it love if we are made to do it?
There are at least two things to consider here. First, is the possible use of the word make. And second, how God actually does that.
The word make has many meanings. Look it up here. I think you will be surprised. The definition that I think is in use here is the one which means compel, or to cause to act in a certain way. It is different than being made to do something as in being forced, but implies some of the same sense of not truly being in control of how we respond.
The reason I think we are compelled to love God is simply the response to coming to receive and understand His love for us.
Love Poured Out
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5 ESV
What a beautiful image that is. The Holy Spirit pouring God’s love into our hearts. This makes our hope secure.
In other words, when the Spirit does His work of pouring God’s love into our hearts, our response is being compelled to love Him. So what we are effectively asking the Holy Spirit to do is come and pour God’s love into us because when He does we will be compelled, or made, to love God.
And that is a very good thing because it is in loving God where we truly need His help, in this most important of endeavors, the pursuit of which influences all others. Loving the Lord our God with all our hearts. Spirit help us.
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart. Heavenly Dove, come down and make your nest in my heart. Teach me what I do not know and remind me what Jesus has said. Help me to love You by pouring the Father’s love into my heart. In Jesus name. Amen.
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Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.
Below is content normally available only to Subscribers. Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the Subscribers content, click here.
Subscribers, please enjoy this video log! Everyone else the transcript below!
Video 6.1 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.
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart; Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move. Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art, And make me love Thee as I ought to love.
The third Person of the Trinity, described as the Heavenly Dove like at the baptism of Jesus, is invoked here. In that occurrence He was a confirmation of the pleasure of the Father in His Son. What we long for is His enabling us to evoke a similar pleasure in the Father through our living. Welcome Him.
Oh, that the Holy Spirit would help our hearts to manage without some of the things of earth of which we have become increasingly fond. Oh, that we would sense His presence moving through every pulse of our hearts. Ask Him for these things.
We are weak, but He is strong. What perfect vessels to put His glory on full display, ones that can truly take no credit for the work He does in them! Humble yourself, by admitting your weakness, and His strength.
And here is where we truly need His help, in this most important of endeavors, the pursuit of which influences all others. We must love the Lord. How? With all our hearts. Spirit help us.
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.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross By: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748
Listen as you read. This is a nice instrumental version.
On Tuesday we considered the first two lines of this very poetic stanza, acknowledging that even if all nature were ours to present as an offering in response to the cross it would be insufficient. Today as we examine the last two lines we will wrestle with the only appropriate response we can give to God’s amazing love for us. Let’s think about this.
Amazing Love
We were separated from God by our sin. The Father sent His Son to bridge that divide. He initiated the solution to our problem with sin by sending Christ to the cross to demonstrate His love, pay the penalty for our sin, and provide a way back to Him.
Love so Divine
Like this image, God reaches out to us in the cross and makes the way for us to reach back to Him. We would never have been able to span the chasm between us and God were it not for the cross. The wondrous cross.
Though our last line will talk about the demand that love places on us, in order to understand the context of that demand we must consider the demand of justice. Our Holy God can have nothing to do with sin. We will each stand before Him to give an account for our lives, particularly to answer for all the things we did contrary to God’s commands. Our sin. (See Revelation 20:11-13.)
God will be justified in calling us to account for every wrong thing we have ever done, if we want to live in His glorious presence forever. His perfection demands it. Unfortunately, we have no excuse, and simply are guilty of every accusation that would be brought against us. Fortunately, Jesus changed the entire scenario.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10ESV
Propitiation is a big theological word. It means to appease a deity, thus incurring divine favor or avoiding divine retribution. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross allowed Him to become that for us. It satisfied the laws demands allowing us to experience the favor of God and escape His retribution. It was the greatest expression of Love in history. It demands a response.
My Soul, My Life, My All
The Demand of Love
With authority Love claims the response of everything we are, but not in the normal sense of the word demand. When I think of the word demand, there is a sense that I have no choice, and while that may be true when we consider the rightness of God’s demand He always allows us to choose.
There is still the very real sense that God’s love displayed on the cross demands a response. It demands my soul, my life, my all, in that it is calling for that all-encompassing response with authority. We must continually live out this response.
Why continually? Partly because the extravagance of God’s sacrifice. Partly because of the way that line is written. Love demands. Not Love demanded, past tense. Or Love will demand, future tense. But demands, present tense. We all called to continually live out our response of offering everything we are to God.
So how are you responding? Undoubtedly, you probably made a decision at some point to offer your life in exchange for the one Jesus offered you. The issue for us arises when we fail to continue to offer our life to God. Something in our soul holds back, not sure of risking everything for Jesus. We live most moments with an awareness of Christ’s presence, but those moments when we do not our life drifts from Him. We offered our all to God in the initial transaction, but along the way have taken little bits back so that He does not have the fullness of what Love demands anymore.
Take a few moments and identify what those things might be that are keeping you from offering your soul, your life, your all to Jesus right now. Ask for His forgiveness, and then His help to keep offering everything you are.
Jesus, thank You for offering Your life so completely for us, becoming the propitiation for our sin. Your sacrifice satisfied the laws demands, and now demands a response from us. Give us the courage and continually offer our lives, our souls, our all to You, ever remaining in a state of wonder at Your work on the cross. In Jesus name. Amen.
Constant Thinking!
Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness? Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.
Below is content available only to Subscribers and Free Members. Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here. Or check out some samples at our Free Member Content Library. We have lots of tools and lots of options designed to help you be Resonant! Check them out today!!
Subscribers AND Free Members enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.
Podcast 4.4 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.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Well, everything in all of creation does not belong to me, but to Christ. He is the One who made all things, and through His sacrifice on the cross is remaking all things. Praise Him for His work of creation and re-creation.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
If it were all mine, giving it all to my Lord who has redeemed me from my sins would be an appropriate response, but would simply still not be enough. He is worthy, so what offering or present will You bring to worship Him?
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Propitiation means to appease a deity, thus incurring divine favor or avoiding divine retribution. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross allowed Him to become that for us. Only His life could be a worthy sacrifice, and in love He willingly laid that life down for our sins. Thank Him.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
In response to Christ offering His life for us, we offer everything we are. But we do not climb up on an altar to die, instead we determine to live out our worship, through holy and acceptable lives. Ask Him to help you do just that.
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.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
