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The Spirit Does What No Orator or Author Can

All Those Who Find Thee Find a Bliss

All those who find Thee find a bliss
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

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

Listen to this version with a single solo voice as you prepare to ponder this hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is video content always available as part of an extensive archive of resources. We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today and please consider becoming a Subscriber to support our mission of providing these tools to everyone with access to the internet!!

Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

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

We continue our journey through this ancient hymn, originally written in Latin, but still true today. There truly is no name like Jesus, no matter the century. He is our source of hope and joy. Let’s tune our hearts.

Perfect Happiness

It can be so elusive. Often the things we think will bring it leave us unfulfilled. So we simply exchange one object for another in a seemingly endless quest for happiness. Or was it satisfaction?

The issue rests not so much in the pursuit, or even the driving motivation, but instead in that which we are pursuing. When we are after something that simply can not satisfy our deepest longing, we will only be disappointed when we realize the vanity of the quest. What we need to do first is be certain that we are pursuing the things that will truly satisfy.

The only thing that can satisfy that God-shaped hole in our hearts is God. Nothing else. Intuitively, we know this, but we try to settle for lessor fillers for various reasons.

All those who find Thee find a bliss

You make known to me the path of life;
   in your presence there is fullness of joy;
   at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  Psalm 16:11 ESV

Bliss is perfect happiness. In the presence of Jesus is fullness of joy. Perfect happiness and fullness of joy sound pretty similar don’t they? That is what we find in Christ. Thank Him for making this path of life known to you, and for the eternal pleasures His right hand holds.

RESONATE!
So what are you searching or striving for? There is a bliss or perfect happiness available only to those who find Jesus, for in Him they find great joy and relief from the burden of sin and self. Recall that moment you first realized what Jesus was offering you. Can you remember it? It was bliss. Thank Him for that.

No Tongue or Pen Can Show

No Words

Have you found that bliss? If you have, think of a time when you tried to share it with someone who had never experienced it. What stories did you tell? What analogies did you use? How did you communicate with them?

There are no words that can fully and accurately portray the great joy that comes into each soul that has found the path of life in Christ. Only those who have surrendered to Jesus and accepted His free gift of life can understand the freedom we have found in Him.

It can be frustrating to try to show your bliss with your tongue or your pen. But it is also exhilarating when another soul surrenders to Jesus and finds it. It is so worth the effort when you see the Holy Spirit doing His work of bringing someone to repentance.

Nor tongue nor pen can show;

But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 ESV

There truly is no way for us to adequately portray in any manner the love of Christ without the work of the Holy Spirit. No tongue or pen can show it, but the Spirit reveals it perfectly and completely. Thank Him for showing you the love of Christ, the very depths of God.

RESONATE!
If we had 1 billion CD’s they would be insufficient to tell of the perfect happiness we find in the love of Christ. If the sky were a scroll and the oceans ink, still the great joy we discover in the depths of God can not adequately be represented or fully set forth. Not even the most eloquent orator or author can tell it completely. Even still, ask the Spirit to reveal it to you again today. Take a few moments to let Him do His unparalleled work of revelation as He shows you again the bliss you have in Christ.

Jesus, thank You for the bliss that is ours when we surrender our lives to You. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for revealing that to us, and continually taking us deeper into God. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see what the Spirit is revealing. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Blissful Tuning!

Keep coming back, and we will work to help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence.   We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.

Like what you’re finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

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

Video 21.3 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.

All those who find Thee find a bliss
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

There is a bliss or perfect happiness for those who find Jesus, for in Him they find great joy and relief from the burden of sin and self. Recall that moment you first realized what Jesus was offering you. Can you remember it? It was bliss. Thank Him for that.

Jesus, thank You for the bliss I have found in You.

If the sky were a scroll and the oceans ink, still the delight we discover in God can not adequately be represented or fully set forth. Not even the most eloquent orator can tell it completely. Still, ask the Spirit to reveal it to you again today.

Spirit, show me the bliss I have in Christ again.

The love of Jesus is what is truly inexpressible. Our bliss flows from our knowledge of that, but it is not simply intellectual. It stirs our hearts like nothing else, for there is nothing else like it. Praise Him for making it known to you.

Jesus, I praise You for making Your love known.

The knowledge that only those who belong to Jesus can understand His love is both thrilling and terrifying. Thrilling because we know, and terrifying because there remain so many who do not. Ask God to help you live out your faith with that awareness every day.

God, help me live out the love of Christ so others can know.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.

Sing

Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, Be Resonant.

The post The Spirit Does What No Orator or Author Can appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
All Those Who Find Thee Find a Bliss – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/person-human-joy-sunset-sun-110303/
No Tongue or Pen Can Show – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/meeting-exchange-of-information-106591/

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What To Do When You Fall

To Those Who Fall How Kind Thou Art

O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

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

Listen to this version with a single solo voice as you prepare to ponder this hymn. 

Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Here is podcast content always available as part of an extensive archive of resources. We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today and please consider becoming a Subscriber to support our mission of providing these tools to everyone with access to the internet!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below!  It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

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

We begin our journey through this ancient hymn originally written in Latin, but still true today. There truly is no name like Jesus, no matter the century. Let’s think about this.

How Kind?

Here is some good news….God does not treat us as our sins deserve.

Every single one of us, starting with Adam and right down through the entire human race, has missed the mark of God’s sinless perfection. We have esteemed our desires over God’s will countless times. Those decisions have sent us down paths where we have stumbled and fell, ended up bruised and broken, and often so embarrassed by our choices that we have felt guilty and ashamed.

Those feelings have left us hesitant to reach out to God. Reluctant to admit our wrong. Even afraid of how God might respond.

But we should not let our failures to live perfectly keep us from approaching Him. He knew the end from the beginning, which includes everything you have ever done wrong, AND all the things you have yet to do. Knowing all that, He chose to make a way to make it just as if we had never sinned. That’s what justification by His grace does.

But it does not do so without a cost. We can find redemption when we fall only because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. How kind of Him to offer us this incredible gift!

To those who fall, how kind Thou art!

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Romans 3:23-24 ESV

In response to our sin, God continually offers us His grace as a gift. Once would be extravagant, but He keeps offering. We all fall, but His kindness is readily available.

We have each experienced the kindness of Jesus, but we can wonder if we have exhausted His kindness when we fall again. We can also become acutely aware of just how kind He is when we fall, as we all do. We tend to be hard on ourselves, but Jesus is ever kind.

 

RESONATE!
Have you fallen lately in some way you have not confessed? He is kind, so very kind, so why wait?  Acknowledge your fall to God today and taste the kindness of His redemption again. Maybe it is a sin that habitually trips you up. Ask the help of the Holy Spirit to help you overcome that struggle by learning to seek Him in the midst of it. We will focus more on this in the next section. Give Him praise for His endless kindness to you, especially when you do not deserve it.

How Good to Those Who Seek

How Good!

The very best way to overcome the things that make us fall is to seek God in the midst of them. That is not an easy thing to do, but it is indeed possible. His help is there for all who will call on Him for it.

Think of it this way. You have determined to follow Jesus, so He has put you on the tracks that lead to His light. The darkness presses in, but the light is unmistakable. It is not always easy to stay on track, but Jesus will help us, if we look to Him.

Have you made that decision to be on track with Jesus? To seek Him and His ways, even when it is not easy? Never will we see the goodness of God more clearly than when it is set against the darkness of walking away from His path for us.

How good to those who seek!

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, none of us would ever seek after Jesus, yet He helps us, and when He does, we find out just how good Jesus is, especially set against the reality of how bad we are, or can be. Thank the Father for giving you the ability to seek Jesus.

 

RESONATE!
When we seek Him, He has promised we will find Him, if we simply seek Him with all our hearts. We can only do that at the prompting and with the help of the Holy Spirit. If you are inclined to seek Him today, thank Him for that prompting…and do it! You will again find that He…is…good!!

Jesus, thank You for the redemption that is available to me through the gift of grace which flows from Your cross. Help me respond today and every day to that great kindness as I endeavor to seek You with all of my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good Thinking!

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness?  Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Podcast 21.2 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.

O hope of every contrite heart,

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” Isaiah 57:15 ESV

The Presence of the Most High promised to the low in spirit, and from it revival. Do you feel like you are almost gone, your hope ebbing away? You are in a perfect place to encounter the Holy One. Bring your broken heart and ask Him to be your hope again today.

O joy of all the meek,

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:19 ESV

Could you use some fresh joy today? Then simply confess your willingness to gently, quietly submit to God’s will and obtain it. He has promised, and He will do it. Seek and show your elation in the Holy One right now.

To those who fall, how kind Thou art!

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Romans 3:23-24 ESV

In response to our sin, God still offers us His grace as a gift. Have you fallen lately in some way you have not confessed? He is kind, so why wait? We all fall, but His kindness is readily available. Acknowledge your fall to God today and taste the kindness of His redemption again.

How good to those who seek!

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

When we seek Him, He has promised we will find Him, if we simply seek Him with all our hearts. We can only do that at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. If you are inclined to seek Him today, thank Him for that prompting…and do it! You will find that He…is…good!!

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

O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, Be Resonant.

The post What To Do When You Fall appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
To Those Who Fall How Kind Thou Art – https://pixabay.com/photos/lost-place-concourse-old-2723541/
How Good to Those Who Seek – https://pixabay.com/photos/beyond-death-faith-gleise-2753576

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What does hope look, feel, and sound like

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined guidance through darkness. This week we will investigate Hope.  When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE: Ephesians 1:18 Amplified Bible

18 And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people).

The eyes of the heart can see, feel, and hear our hope in Jesus.

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

O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

The songwriter knew that when we fall, shame and guilt appear to block our remorse and kill, steal, and destroy our repentance. In those times we must remember what hope looks like, feels like, and smells like. What does hope look like, feel like, and sound like to you?

PARABLE: 

During these uncertain times, HOPE is something that can be hard to see, hear, or feel. As I rewatched Black Panther starring Chadwick Boseman, I was reminded of what hope looks like, feels like, and smells like. Chadwick took Hollywood by surprise and gave a hopeful message that in Christ we too–in the struggle– can use our superpowers and be hope givers. Few people knew that he was dying of colon cancer as he played African American icons such as James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, and Jackie Robinson in Hollywood films. The first African American superhero icon Chadwick Boseman passed away this weekend but not without leaving a legacy of hope to all races to not give up in the face of adversity. He used his days wisely letting his light shine through the obstacles and choosing to be a hope giver.

Perhaps you are stumbling to stand in hope or maybe you need additional encouragement to keep standing. Find joy in knowing that the light of hope is shining even as the public display of disparities in health and social justice rise and anxiety and depression and use and abuse of substances and violence increase. There is a Hope Giver named Jesus who is providing us with light in our darkness through the hope of other’s faith displayed.

I leave you with the words of Chadwick Boseman“When God has something for you, it doesn’t matter who stands against it. God will move someone that’s holding you back away from the door and put someone there who will open it for you, if it’s meant for you. I don’t know what your future is, but if you are willing to take the harder way, the more complicated one, the one with more failures at first than successes, the one that has ultimately proven to have more meaning, more victory, more glory then you will not regret it. Now, this is your time. The light of new realizations shines on you today.”

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, take time to ponder these questions: Is it your season to be a hope giver or a hope receiver? If you are to be a hope giver, who are you assigned to? If you are to be a hope receiver, who is supposed to encourage you to hope?
Soul care training exercise:  There are times when we need to allow Jesus to hold the space of hope for ourselves and others.  If you choose, when you are ready, invite the Holy Spirit to help you HOPE.

  • First, Hope in Jesus. He can restore our contrite hearts. Tell him when you are feeling hopeless. Tell him when you feel hopeful.
  • Next,  Open your heart to search if this is your season to be a hope receiver or a hope giver.
  • Then, Pray and seek Jesus to fill you with an abudance of hope.
  • Finally, Enjoy the gift of hope .

PRAYER: Jesus, thank you that I can find hope in you. Help me to be a hope giver and share it with those you have assigned me to. In the hopeful name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

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

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post What is your hope appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions:
Hope in Jesus: Photo by Tia Cifferno with text added
What does Hope feel like: Photo by Renee Morgan with added text
Hope Giver: Photo by Mary Shortreed with added text

BONUS REFLECTION: If you choose, take seven minutes to do this bonus hope reflection.

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Do You Know the Path of Hope and Joy?

O Hope of Every Contrite Heart

O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

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

Listen to this version with a single solo voice as you prepare to ponder this hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is video content always available as part of an extensive archive of resources. We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today and please consider becoming a Subscriber to support our mission of providing these tools to everyone with access to the internet!!

Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

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

We continue our journey through this ancient hymn, originally written in Latin, but still true today. There truly is no name like Jesus, no matter the century. He is our source of hope and joy. Let’s tune our hearts.

Highs and Lows Meet

We have all found ourselves at low places at times. Something has broken us and left us on our knees before the Most High God. Often, those things have taken us by surprise along the journey of life.

Can you relate? Maybe you are in one of those difficult times today, and are very mindful that you have arrived there as a result of your own choices. Do not fight that guilt or the brokenness it brings: embrace it, for there is a blessing on the other side of doing so, even hope through the process.

O hope of every contrite heart,

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” Isaiah 57:15 ESV

Here God declares not only that He dwells on high, but also with anyone who is of a contrite and lowly spirit. The Presence of the Most High is promised to the low in spirit, and from it springs revival. Do you feel like you are almost gone, your hope ebbing away? You are in a perfect place to encounter the Holy One. Bring your broken heart, and ask Him to be your hope again today.

For all those willing to accept and acknowledge their guilt before God, Jesus has promised to be their hope. There is nothing more that needs to be accomplished, simply accepted. This is the hope Jesus has made available to all who confess their need of Him. He will meet you in that low place and lift you into His loving, refreshing embrace.

RESONATE!
Is there anything you need to confess to God today? Something you have done or left undone that has left you feeling guilty before the High and Holy One? You can find that relationship restored and your hope revived right now. Allow your brokenness to bridge the divide your soul feels and rest once again in the kindness of our God.

O Joy of All the Meek

Submitting to God Involves Waiting on Him

Ever feel like the young man on the edge of the terminal? You are waiting for your train to come. You have submitted yourself to the schedule upon which it runs and now must simply wait.

It is difficult to submit our will to something or someone beyond our control. It is especially difficult to do that quietly and gently. But when the one we are submitting to is the Holy One, it can be much easier, partly because of who He is, and partly because of what He promises as the result of our meekness.

O joy of all the meek,

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:19 ESV

To be meek is to be submissive. Jesus is the joy of every soul that has submitted its will to God. We realize the joy He brings as we yield in an ongoing way all along our journey with Him, not simply that initial surrender at the beginning. Is your joy increasing as you walk with Jesus? It should be, and it can. Ask the Spirit for help.

Could you use some fresh joy today? Then simply confess your willingness to gently, quietly submit to God’s will and obtain it. He has promised, and He will do it. Seek and show your elation in the Holy One right now.

Spirit, help me continually surrender my soul to my Lord.

RESONATE!
Is there some area where you are and maybe have been struggling to submit to God’s will? Maybe you have even gotten on the wrong train in the hopes of getting to your desired destination sooner, only to later realize it was the wrong way to get to the wrong place. Tell God again today you will surrender to His ways and timing, and find a fresh joy for the journey that remains.

Jesus, thank You for the promise of Your presence and fresh joy if I will simply surrender to Your purposes and ways. Help me to look to You every day and submit to You. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Hopeful Tuning!

Keep coming back, and we will work to help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence.   We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.

Like what you’re finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

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

Video 21.2 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.

O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

For all those willing to accept and acknowledge their guilt before God, Jesus will be their hope. There is nothing more that needs to be accomplished, simply accepted. This is the hope Jesus has made available to all who confess their need of Him. Thank Him.

Jesus, thank You for the hope I have in You.

To be meek is to be submissive. Jesus is the joy of every soul that has submitted its will to God. We realize the joy He brings as we yield in an ongoing way, not simply that initial surrender. Is your joy increasing as you walk with Jesus? It should be. Ask the Spirit for help.

Spirit, help me continually surrender my soul to my Lord.

We have each experienced the kindness of Jesus, but we become acutely aware of just how kind He is when we fall, and we all do. We tend to be hard on ourselves, but Jesus is ever kind. Give Him praise for His endless kindness to you, especially when you do not deserve it.

Jesus, thank You for Your kindness when I have fallen.

Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, none of us would ever seek after Jesus, yet He helps us, and when He does, we find out just how good Jesus is, especially set against the reality of how bad we are. Thank the Father for giving you the ability to seek Jesus.

God, thank you for enabling me to seek 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.

The post Do You Know the Path of Hope and Joy? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
O Hope of Every Contrite Heart – https://pixabay.com/photos/underground-god-hope-urban-destiny-885206/
O Joy of All the Meek – https://pixabay.com/photos/stand-by-train-railway-suetsid-1848973/

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Future Rest Informs Present Sweetness

But Sweeter Far Thy Face to See

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.

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

Listen to this version with a single solo voice as you prepare to ponder this hymn. 

Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Here is podcast content always available as part of an extensive archive of resources. We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today and please consider becoming a Subscriber to support our mission of providing these tools to everyone with access to the internet!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below!  It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

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

We begin our journey through this ancient hymn originally written in Latin, but still true today. There truly is no name like Jesus, no matter the century. Let’s think about this.

Present Sweetness

While just the thought of Jesus fills our hearts with sweetness, imagine how much sweeter will be those moments when we finally see him face-to-face! The brightest and best moments of this life are but a shadow compared to the light of that coming encounter, and yet each of them points to it. Even in this darkness God has begun to make Himself known through the person of His Son.

But sweeter far Thy face to see,

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

Did you ever consider the fact that God could have simply chosen to reveal truths to us. Ideas, philosophies and concepts. But instead He chose to reveal Himself, out of which flow His ways and purposes.

How kind of God to reveal the sweetness of the knowledge of Him as we look to the face of His Son, the Light of the World. He pierces our darkness as He shows us the glory of God. That work begins in our hearts, and then shines from there with an unmistakeable and unquenchable brightness. Praise the Father for revealing His glory through Jesus Christ!

RESONATE!
Where there was darkness, rot and decay Jesus brings a vibrant and dynamic renewal and refreshing until sweetness displaces everything else. Is there anything threatening the filling of the core of your being with His unmatched brightness today? Ask Jesus to give you eyes to see His face so the light of the knowledge of the glory of God may shine into your heart again right now. Speak the name of Jesus in your heart and experience His fullness, asking Him to fill you with the sweetness of His presence.

Future Rest

That kind of sweet knowledge of Jesus opens the reality of a rest in Him that begins now and culminates in eternity. The future rest we are promised in Him has implications for the way we live today. This is true even in, maybe especially in, the weariest days.

And in Thy presence rest.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 ESV

These are the words of Jesus. The clear invitation of our Master is to come and find rest in His presence. Thinking about Him brings a sweetness indeed, but it is superseded by the rest of simply being in His presence. That rest begins the moment we accept His invitation to come. It also continues to consume us as we learn to live with a constant awareness of His presence. 

When we first have eyes of faith to see Jesus His rest becomes a present reality. Even better though will be that day when we finally see Him face-to-face. The sweetness of His unveiled glory in those moments will be sweeter than anything we will have ever experienced, by far.

RESONATE!
What we need to continue to grow to realize is that the reality of that “someday” rest can influence our lives “every day”. That way the someday rest becomes and everyday rest. Sound too good to be true? Maybe, but it actually is true. Ask the Spirit to help you long for that day, as you learn to practice the rest it promises even today.

Jesus, thank You for the sweetness we find in Your presence. Though we only know it in part now, that knowledge makes us long for more. Help me set my heart on You today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sweet Thinking!

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Podcast 21.1 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.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 ESV

Jesus is all these things, and thinking of Him ushers them into our minds and our lives. We should endeavor to think about Him often everyday so our thoughts reflect the beauty of our Savior. Ask Him to help you think on Him regularly.

With sweetness fills my breast;

My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 24:13-14 ESV

Feasting on His words brings a sweetness into our minds that can transform us from the inside out. His wisdom is indeed so sweet because it assures us of a future and a hope. Thank Him for His sweet words.

But sweeter far Thy face to see,

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

How kind of God to reveal the sweetness of the knowledge of Him as we look to the face of His Son, the Light of the World. He pierces our darkness as He shows us the glory of God. Praise the Father for revealing His glory through Jesus Christ.

And in Thy presence rest.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 ESV

The clear invitation of our Master to come and find rest in His presence. Thinking about Him brings a sweetness indeed, but it is superseded by simply being in His presence. Accept His invitation and come again to rest in Jesus 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, with the Refrain.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, Be Resonant.

The post Future Rest Informs Present Sweetness appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
But Sweeter Far Thy Face to See – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9pbOddjdfM
And in Thy Presence Rest – https://onwardchurch.org/2016/03/07/meeting-jesus-face-to-face/

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