Blogs - Resonant 7

January 24, 2019 by smattern Leave a Comment

Shield + Portion = Strength

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Amazing Grace
By: John Newton, 1725-1807

Listen as you read. This version is from Grace by David Tolk.

Think about it. As long as life endures, in other words, throughout my earthly existence. I would agree that the Lord is far more than just Shield and Portion for far longer than the dash that is this life, but we will take that up at another time, Lord willing. For these thoughts, let’s center in on what the Lord keeps away from me, and what He brings to me, all for His glory and my good.

Shield

Psalm 28:7 says it this way.

The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

He keeps things away from me. Another way of saying it, He keeps me from getting things that would harm me. He is my Shield.

The Chi Rho shield above, reminds us that Christ is that Shield, those two letters representing the first two letters from the Greek spelling of Christ. [If you are intrigued and need more on that, you may indulge your curiosity here.] Jesus is the One who protects me. He keeps many things that would harm me from ever getting close enough to do damage, even though I flirt with them at times.

Portion

Psalm73:26 says it like this.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

He provides me with things that will help me. Another way of saying it, He is everything I need. He is my portion.

This one seems either a little less straightforward than the other, or maybe just a little more complex. Saying God is my Shield has a singular focus. Saying He is my Portion has more protracted implications. There are several primary nuances of such a claim, and here is the short list.

share of a meal
part of a sacrifice
soldier’s share of plunder
someone’s inheritance

The first, and most obvious one seems to be connected with this idea of one’s share in a meal. Think family style like the photo above. I do not have to jostle and fight for my share. God is my share. I can be at rest and enjoy all that He has provided for me.

The next is a little less obvious as it pertains to the part of a sacrifice that would belong to the worshipper. The priest would get a certain portion, as would the Lord to whom the offering was made, but the worshipper would receive a portion of most offerings as well. Again, God is my portion.

The last two are even a little more obscure, but just as meaningful. After a battle every

soldier gets to take some of the plunder as their reward for winning, or their prize for still being alive. When the battle of this life is over, God will certainly be our plunder, the proceeds of having lived victoriously. This last one really resonates with me because of the lasting implication. I might eat my meal, enjoy my sacrifice or plunder and then it’s gone, but inheritance seems at least a bit more permanent. Not only that, but it is generally something entrusted to someone based on relationship. I like the connotation of that.

Strength

One of the things that struck me about these two passages was one of the words they have in common, Strength. The interesting thing to me is that a Shield protects strength and a Portion fuels it. Both are related to strength, only in different ways. I need strength to live this life, and that strength is God, and comes from God.

How’s strong is your spirit? Are you allowing God to protect you, or are you trying to do it all yourself? Are you seeking God to provide for you, or are you attempt to stir up your own provisions? Honestly ask yourself these questions and let the Holy Spirit reveal the answers to you. It will be worth the time and effort.

Jesus, thank You for being my Shield and Portion. As one songwriter said, “All of You is more than enough for all of me.” Help me to live that statement out, even as I come to understand it better everyday. In Jesus name. Amen.

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January 22, 2019 by smattern Leave a Comment

Promises, Promises

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Amazing Grace
By: John Newton, 1725-1807

Listen as you read. This version is from Grace by David Tolk.

The rainbow after the Flood was given by God as a sign of His promise to us. It is only one example of the many promises we find in God’s Word to us, the Holy Bible, our source of hope. A quick Google search will reveal numerous lists compiled around any number of subjects. Type “Promises” in the search on YouVersion and you will find no shortage of devotionals structured around promises. The problem is not with the promises, the problem is with us.

Context

I thought about compiling a list of the promises of good things that the Lord has promised to us, but the prospect of that was overwhelming, especially considering the scope of what it is I want to help you accomplish on a normal Tuesday. I want to help you tune your heart. Any musician will tell you, when it’s time to tune, you generally ask for one note. Generally.

I was rehearsing with a violinist recently and learned a little trick. I thought I should give her an A first, and I was correct, but then she asked for a second note to provide context, I believe it was the E below it. She said it was a good way to impress a string player, to play that second note for context before the tuning player requests it. I thanked her and we began.

I mention that here because I want to provide a single promise, but one whichI believe provides a context for this tuning. And what is that promise you ask, 2 Peter 1:4.

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

This is the context of our hope, all His promises to me, and you.

Hope, Secured

Hope is generally defined as a feeling, and for us it is certainly that. But because of God’s Word given to us it is that and a whole lot more. You see, feelings are fleeting and often are reactions to external circumstances beyond our control. This is not how the Bible describes the hope we have in God’s promises.

To take this one verse as our context, consider the two aspects it sets forth. Because of His promises to us we get to

Share in his divine nature, and
Escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

I don’t want to speak for you, but I draw a lot of hope from those two realities that flow from all of God’s promises to me. I get to be like him, and be free of the corruption of this world, even while still living in it.

So let’s keep this simple. To tune today, simply take a few moments and thank God for all of His promises. Ask for His forgiveness for the times you have failed to believe them and so have not lived as if your hope was secure. Thank Him for the blessing of sharing in his divine nature, and then ask him to reveal how he wants to change you so you may reveal it better today. Thank Him for the privilege of escaping corruption, and then ask Him to show you what desires need to change in you so you can experience that freedom.

Then the next time you are reading some of His promises, and I hope it is soon, take a few moments right then to evaluate how you can experience them by adjusting your living within that context.

Happy Tuning!

Jesus, thank You for all the promises You have made to us in the Bible. Help me to read them regularly, and when I do, to ask the Holy Spirit to open my blind eyes and give me understanding. I want to learn Your promises, so they may fill my weary soul with hope. In Jesus name. Amen.

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January 17, 2019 by smattern Leave a Comment

On My Way Home. Thanks Grace.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

Amazing Grace
By: John Newton, 1725-1807

Listen as you read. This version is from Sacred Piano by Paul Cardall.

When you first look at that image, what comes to mind? For me, it was something like, “How am I going to get through that?” This reveals that fact that my default perspective is that these traps are in front of me, causing my road ahead to be a very treacherous one.

And while that may indeed be true, I want to welcome you instead to imagine that instead of traps like these filling the path ahead of you, imagine instead that this is your view if you look back. Have you wrapped your mind around that yet? There is a very real sense in which that is indeed the case.

Traps Behind, Traps Ahead

My initial thoughts about Grace bringing me safe thus far centered around the idea that I was aware of many of the traps in my way, but thanks to Grace I was able to avoid them. In other words, Grace showed me the safe path through the traps by revealing them and the way to pass through them unharmed. Again, while I am sure that is true of some of the traps I have avoided, it occurred to me that sometimes simply walking in Grace enabled me to avoid them, even when I did not see them. Truthfully, not seeing them at all may have actually been the most gracious thing that Grace did for me.

See, if there are traps in my past and/or my future, one thing is certain, someone set them. And that someone set them for a reason, to ensnare me. That someone knows the ways I travel, my well worn paths, and has put those traps in just the right places to catch me. But Someone else knows my paths as well, and leads me safely along them, even encouraging detours at times, some of which I am very unhappy with at the moment, but often later realize were wise departures.

Think about it. What traps has Grace led you through, around, over? You are certainly aware of some. Thank Him.

You are however not aware of them all. For the ones He led you through that you never even knew about, Thank Him.

So we should draw some marvelous encouragement from this simple fact. The knowledge of the traps behind, coupled with the reality that I have made it through them, gives me great courage to carefully tread on the path Grace marks out ahead, knowing that His leading is good.

Lead Me Home

And just where is He leading me? He is leading me home. To that place He has prepared for me. Jesus said in John 14:4, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” [John 14:1-4] That is good news. He makes it clear a few verses later, “I am the Way…” So we need to make certain we stay on the way, or the Way, if we want to arrive at the place He has been preparing for us.

And just how do we do that? By living with the end in mind. If Heaven is my home, then I should live like I believe that. I do not mean being “So heavenly-minded that you are no earthly good.” On the contrary, it should be your heavenly-mindedness that makes you good for the earth, and the people who share your little part of it. The knowledge that you have eternal peace with God should be reflected in your temporal decisions and actions.

We believe the Bible teaches that we when we stand before God we will have to give an account for all we have done in this life. [Romans 14:12, Revelation 20:11-15] We also believe Jesus’ righteousness will be credited to us. [Romans 3:21-24] Amazing Grace!

Think about it. Do a little self-assessment. If you were to pass through the gates today, would those who shared this life with you be surprised you made or not? I do not mean surprised you earned it, because you never could, but would they be able to say that you had lived out your debt of love to Jesus with grace? If you have any reason to believe they might not, change your course today. What adjustments do you need to make to demonstrate you are walking through the traps of life with grace, with Your eyes on the place He is preparing for you even now?

That way, when you pass through those gates, Grace having led you home, you will continue to sing the song you had been singing all along…Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound…

Jesus, thank You for being the Way, and helping me to walk in it everyday. Forgive me for the times I go my own way, and headstrong hurl myself at dangers You could help me avoid. Fill my life with Your grace so those around me can see you clearly, and can find there way with me to my heavenly home. In Jesus name. Amen.

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January 15, 2019 by smattern Leave a Comment

Dangers, Toils and Snares

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

Amazing Grace
By: John Newton, 1725-1807

Listen as you read. This version is from Sacred Piano by Paul Cardall.

So here’s one of those times when it is helpful to understand one of the more obscure words in the hymn text in order to be able to appreciate what the writer in saying. Being a musician, the first thing that comes to mind to me is those twisty metal things at the bottom of a snare drum that give it that distinct sound. But that is not the snare being alluded to here.

The Fowler’s Snare

No, this is a snare that is specifically designed to trap its intended prey. Fowler’s, or people who deal with fowl or birds, make use of snares to trap birds. They come in a few different forms, but suffice it to say, the image of this one that looks essentially like a net gives a rather graphic representation of what a snare truly is. Looking at that poor bird, a beautiful boat-billed flycatcher, caught in that snare caused me to feel physically uncomfortable. [Disclaimer: I had to search google with the image because I do not really know birds that well.] I relieved a bit of my discomfort by searching YouTube to see this lovely creature moving around freely in it’s natural habitat. You can do that too here if you like.

This was helpful for me to recall and even imagine some of the things the Lord has brought me through, many of which I have never even realized were there. It’s not like the spiritual life has sign posted so you know when you are entering a troublesome patch. On the contrary, the enemy of our souls, the Fowler who sets all those snares for us, is quite clever at disguising the traps so we do not even know they are there until it is too late.

But that is not the fate that Grace has made available to us. See the impact of grace in this context? Grace has brought me safe this far, and grace will lead me home. There are both immediate and ultimate advantages to walking in and with grace. Let’s consider both briefly.

Immediate

Now I want to be careful not to push the illustration to far, so think about your own life for a moment. So here is the first part of the tuning. What snares has grace brought you safely through, or delivered you out of? You could think about it the other way as well. What snares have I fallen into when I have not followed the path of grace?

For me it is often trouble with my tongue, or rather trouble my tongue creates when I do not let grace lead me. I am referring to those moments when I speak before I think. When I let grace bring me through those times as opposed to my flesh, I am able to avoid the snares. This allows me to get and stay in tune with the Father’s activity in me.

I think of it in terms of a prayer I came across tears ago. “Lord, deliver from the temptations of my flesh, this world and the Devil.” You see, if it were not for my flesh, I would not have to worry about the world or the Devil, but until I get my new body, when I finally get Home, I am going to need grace to help me get through all the perils of this life, many of which I inflict on myself. This brings us to the consequences of following grace which are…

Ultimate

If we follow the bird-snare illustration out, our Home could be our nest. Think about the relief of that flycatcher above if it was able to get free from that snare and safely arrive at it’s nest. That nest is really not much to look at but think of what it represents to the bird. Safety and rest, maybe belonging and certainly memories.

For us, there is not only the relief of arriving in a safe place like our home after we have made it through another day filled with dangers, toils and snares, but also a more ultimate arrival. The arrival at our final destination which for the believer will be Heaven. When we arrive there we will know better than we ever have that it was indeed Grace that led us there, through the moment of decision, and along through the life that followed, until we finally arrive at…home.

Here is the other part of the tuning, which actually really informs the former. Knowing Grace is leading us to our Heavenly Home, makes allowing Grace to led us through these Earthly Days. I have often said that is it odd how little we think about the place where we will spend so much of eternity. Think a little about Heaven right now. Let what you know overwhelm you. If you don’t know much about what the Bible says about it, I would recommend Heaven by Randy Alcorn.

Happy Tuning!

Jesus, thank You for all the trouble you have lead me through already. Teach me to follow You more closely in the remaining days I have here. Remind me to think about my ultimate home in Heaven more often, and live like someone who is being led by grace, now and forever more. In Jesus name. Amen.

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January 10, 2019 by smattern 1 Comment

Preoccupied with Precious Grace

Gollum, "My Precious" — Gollum, “My Precious”

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Amazing Grace
By: John Newton, 1725-1807

Listen as you read. This version is from Sacred Piano by Paul Cardall.

So I ask you to consider if grace had lost any of it’s preciousness since you first saw it. If it has, do not feel badly. This happens to each of us to some degree because frankly, we are not obsessed with grace like Gollum was obsessed with his ring.

A Love-Hate Relationship

Gollum is a character from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings who finds a magical Ring which transforms his life. Part of the transformation is that it extends his life long past natural limits, which is the upside. The down side is that centuries of the Rings’ influence twists Gollum’s body and mind until he has a curious love-hate relationship with the Ring he refers to as “My Precious”. There are some interesting parallels to consider between Gollum and his Ring and us and grace. The main difference is that they are essentially opposites of each other with the ring destroying Gollum while grace saves us.

As I reflected on the words of this stanza, I was struck by the writer’s preoccupation with grace, evidenced by the use of it three times, once in each of the first three lines. Gollum is preoccupied as well, but obviously not in the same way. His fixation on the Ring might just be instructive for us when we think about the transformative power of grace in our lives, both body and mind.

You see, grace changes our lives. Part of that transformation is that it extends our lives long past natural limits, spiritually speaking, since eternity is a really long time. The influence of grace twists our bodies and minds into what becomes for many of us a love-hate relationship.

We are thankful for the transforming power of grace, but it’s presence illuminates the struggle between good and evil that exists within each of us who have tasted it. I think Paul put it best when he said this in Romans 7:18-19, “¹For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” This is part of a larger passage which illustrates this struggle. See Romans 7:14-24.

We love grace, but we hate what it shows us about ourselves. Embrace the grace of God in your life again today and the power it provides not only to deliver you from your fears, but from your vices as well. Take a few moments and think about what grace has revealed to you that needs transformation. This exercise will help you begin the process of restoring a proper view of grace as precious.

My Precious

Interesting word, “precious”. It is what brought Gollum to mind in the first place since this is not really a commonly used word today. When something is highly esteemed for some spiritual, nonmaterial, or moral quality it is said to be precious. That said, what could be more precious than grace? It becomes for us, like Gollum’s ring, the one gift that rules them all.

Grace essentially is getting what you do not deserve.

The Ring basically transforms Gollum into the worst imaginable version of himself, whereas grace does the opposite for us by making us the best version of ourselves. So I guess the question that is haunting me is how can we become as obsessed with grace as Gollum was with his ring so that it can have the equal and opposite effect of transforming us? Is the secret in the fixation alone? Using grace in three out of every four texts we send, or Facebook/Instagram posts?

No, it can’t be that simple. Or can it? Maybe there is something about the preoccupation that does have a transformative effect. It makes me think of Isaiah 26:3. “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

What better thing to trust in than the unmerited favor of God made accessible to us through the finished wok of Christ on the cross? Allow your mind to rest on God and His grace. Take a few moments now to ask Him to restore your view of His grace to what it was when you were first overwhelmed by it.

Holy Spirit, remind me today of just how precious grace is. Take me back to those first moments when I surrendered to Your grace. Usher in the peace that comes when my mind is resting on you. Help my thoughts routinely return to a sense of wonder and awe that can transform my life. In Jesus name. Amen.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

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Shield

Portion

Strength

Context

Hope, Secured

Traps Behind, Traps Ahead

Lead Me Home

The Fowler’s Snare

Immediate

Ultimate

A Love-Hate Relationship

My Precious

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