Alas and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sov’reign die
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I

Alas And Did My Savior Bleed 1707
By: Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
ref. by Ralph E. Hudson, 1885

Listen to this modern version of this penitent hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

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

Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

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

As we begin our journey through this ancient text and hymn, make each stanza your own by praying through it. Let’s tune our hearts.

Yes He Did

This hymn begins with some questions. “Did He”…? And again, “Did He”…? Followed by, “Would He”…?

I think the questioning nature is a good way to express the grief of the opening word, “Alas”. Not in common usage today, the emotion of if may be lost a little on us, but not for Watts contemporaries. It invited them from that opening word to enter into the wonder of God bleeding and dying for our sins.

The words may be a little archaic at times, but the ageless truth of Christ’s sacrifice shines through clearly. It does so all the while evoking a wonder from the worshipper. We take these next weeks of Lent, as the days of spring lengthen as we journey to Easter, to consider our response to Jesus’ redemptive work. beginning here with His blood.

Alas and did my Savior bleed

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, Ephesians 1:7 ESV

As we journey through this hymn during the season of Lent we will answer a lot of questions. Yes, the Savior bled for us. And His blood purchased our redemption, our forgiveness. As we begin our journey, thank Him for the riches of His grace poured on your life.

The exclamation of grief in the word “Alas” should characterize at least some of that journey. What is your visceral reaction, your gut response, when you ponder the Savior shedding His blood for you? Yes, the Savior bleed for us, for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

RESONATE!
So how are you responding to the Savior shedding His blood for you? Begin to think on this and remember that response is more than singing the words of a song. To genuinely sing those words we must consider how our lives are reflecting that desire to respond to His love. Start with words of gratitude, then allow your life to math them. “Jesus, thank You for shedding Your blood.”

And Again, Yes

To think of our Savior bleeding for us evokes wonder and amazement, but to acknowledge that He, the Sovereign over all, died for us is almost more than we can comprehend. We look at the cross and see our Lord hanging there and are left bewildered, trying to take in the almost inconceivable nature of this transaction. The Ruler offering His life for those He rules.

Does that truth resonate with you? Does it cause your soul to reverberate with the life-altering awe it evokes? Take a moment right now as you read these words to let that truth echo deeply your being.

And did my Sov’reign die

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Luke 23:46 ESV

Can you imagine what those moments must have been like for those first disciples? We have the benefit of history, but their hearts must have been breaking. Try to empathize with the pain they had to have felt. It will only intensify the joy of our resurrection celebrations.

Jesus had to die. Our sin had to be atoned for, and His blood, the sacrifice of His life, was the only way to satisfy the just demands of our holy God. The Father gave the life of Jesus His Son to express His love for us and make a way for us to live eternally. Thanks be to God!

RESONATE!
So how will you respond right now to His sacrifice. Surely, you can start with words of gratitude, but how will you express that gratitude with your life? Give Him thanks. “Father, thank You for giving Your Son.” Then ask Him to show you how to live that out today. Be ready to respond when He does.

Jesus, thank You for shedding your blood and dying for me. I want to live my life responding to your sacrifice. Through this season of Lent, show me how to lengthen my periods gratitude until in becomes my way of life. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Awestruck 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.

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

Video 49.1 Transcript (26.1 Reframed)

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.

Alas and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sov’reign die
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I

As we begin to make our long approach to Easter through Lent, let us begin asking these questions. The exclamation of grief in the word “Alas” should characterize at least some of that journey. Yes, the Savior bleed for us, for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Jesus, thank You for shedding Your blood.

Jesus had to die. Our sin had to be atoned for, and His blood, the sacrifice of His life, was the only way to satisfy the just demands of our holy God. The Father gave the life of Jesus His Son to express His love for us and make a way for us to live eternally. Thanks be to God!

Father, thank You for giving Your Son.

Yes, God was so committed to our redemption that He was absolutely willing to devote, to commit a large portion of His resources, namely the sacred head of His beloved Son, to that purpose. He loved the world that much. May we be overwhelmed by it in this penitent season.

Lord, overwhelm me with Your sacrifice.

And that extravagant offering was devoted and offered while we were so undeserving. We were sinners, lost and hurling down a path toward eternal damnation and separation from a loving God. Then He intervened. Ask the Spirit to enliven the praise of your ransomed soul.

Spirit, enliven the praise of my ransomed 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.

The post Answering the Questions with My Life appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Alas And Did My Savior Bleed – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-blood-processions-easter-501757/
And Did My Sovereign Die – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-jesus-christ-crucifixion-5703825/

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see
‘Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me

My Savior’s Love 1905
By: Charles H. Gabriel (1856-1932)

Listen to this modern acapella version of this carol as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

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

Please enjoy this video and the transcript below.

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

As we conclude our journey through this wonder-filled hymn take an assessment of the level of wonder and amazement which characterizes your relationship with Jesus. We all have room to grow in response to His love for us. Let’s tune our hearts.

Ransomed

We will have this is common with everyone who arrives in heaven, not one of us will have earned the right to be there. We will only be able to enter that rest because of what Jesus has done for us, not any merit of our own. We will all have been ransomed.

To be ransomed is to be bought back at a price and usually involves release from being a prisoner. That aptly describes our situation. We were prisoners to sin with no hope of escape. No hope until Jesus paid our ransom that is.

That ransom was the full payment of our debt of sin. Not one of us could have paid even our own, but Jesus paid it all. He ransomed us when He offered His life as an atonement for sin. That offering opened the gates of heaven to all who receive it.

When with the ransomed in glory

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, Revelation 7:9 ESV

How do you know they are ransomed? The white robes. How do you know they are in glory? The throne and the Lamb. Who are they? A great number from every nation, and tribe. What a gathering that will be!

Because of His love for us we will be among those who have been ransomed in glory. This is His great love for us that He has ransomed or redeemed us from our sins. We know it now, but we will know it even better then.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider what it cost Jesus to redeem You. You could never have redeemed Yourself but simply need to receive the gift of redemption Jesus offers. Make this your simple prayer “Jesus, thank You for ransoming me.” 

Reflections

A mirror seems to be a pretty clear representation of things. It is, but only a very limited perspective. Take the image here as an example. Sure, the larger the mirror the more accurate the reflection, but no mirror is large enough to reflect reality, just a  sliver.

The same is true with what we can see in this life, compared to what we will see in glory. Our perspective is very limited now. It will not be so then. We simply lack the capacity to even begin to fathom how much richer and more vibrant life can be. This is all a result of the fall.

We become accustomed to our limited perspective and the incomplete reflection it is. His love causes us to long for more. We can make the most of the reflection we have now, but let us never become content with it even while we wait for a broadened perspective.

His face I at last shall see

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 13:12 ESV

Gathered around the throne with the ransomed we will finally see Jesus face to face. Now we know in part, then we will now fully. How marvelous to be fully known and still loved. How we long for the day when we will see His face.

We will be with the ransomed, but we have a taste of that even now. What will be truly different then is that we will finally see Jesus face to face. So often we have longed to see His face and look into His eyes. That day is coming, and what a wonderful day it will be.

RESONATE
Take a few moments and think about seeing Jesus’ face. Is that something you long for. If not, ask the Spirit to reveal why that is. Pray this simple prayer, “Jesus, I long to see Your face.“  

Jesus, thank You for ransoming me and placing within me a desire to see Your face. Keep me from becoming content with the reflections I see now and grow my longing to see Your face. In Jesus’ name. 

Reflective 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.

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

Video 48.6 Transcrip

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.

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see
‘Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me

Because of His love for us we will be among those who have been ransomed in glory. What are we ransomed from? Our sins. This is His great love for us that He has ransomed or redeemed us from our sins. We know it now, but we will know it even better then.

Jesus, thank You for ransoming me.

We will be with the ransomed, but we have a taste of that even now. What will be truly different then is that we will finally see Jesus face to face. So often we have longed to see His face and look into His eyes. That day is coming, and what a wonderful day it will be.

Jesus, I long to see Your face.

When we finally see His face we will undoubtedly sing for joy. Then we will do so for the rest of eternity. We know the joy of His presence now, but not like the joy we will experience then.Take a moment to anticipate that eternal joy.

Jesus, help me anticipate the joy.

Sometimes singing now is difficult. We praise Him through pain and problems. Those will all be gone in glory. Our praise will be fueled by profound, eternal joy and we will sing of His love through the ages. Don’t wait. Get started today so you are prepared for an eternity of exaltation.

Jesus, help me prepare for perpetual praise.

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.

How marvelous how wonderful
And my song shall ever be
How marvelous how wonderful
Is my Saviour’s love for me

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 Rethinking Redemption through Ransoms and Reflections appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
When with the ransomed in glory – https://pixabay.com/photos/cash-register-money-dollars-3125637/
His face I at last shall see – https://pixabay.com/photos/people-girl-face-lips-mirror-2604159/

How marvelous how wonderful
And my song shall ever be
How marvelous how wonderful
Is my Saviour’s love for me

My Savior’s Love 1905
By: Charles H. Gabriel (1856-1932)

Listen to this modern acapella version of this carol as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

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

Please enjoy this video and the transcript below.

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

As we continue our journey through this wonder-filled hymn take an assessment of the level of wonder and amazement which characterizes your relationship with Jesus. We all have room to grow in response to His love for us. Let’s tune our hearts.

The Support

Nestled in a Psalm about God’s steadfast love we find this verse about a stone the builder’s rejected. It is possible there is a reference to David here. Saul reacted him and yet the Lord esteemed him. That is true but it also undoubtedly points to Jesus.

Jesus became the cornerstone of our faith. A cornerstone is the first stone laid, and all others are laid in reference to it. Such is Jesus for our faith. The Father accomplished this incredible work through the sacrifice of His Son. When we are granted eyes to see it we begin to see just how marvelous it is.

How marvelous how wonderful

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 118:22-23 ESV 

Jesus quotes this verse prophesying His fulfillment of it. He would show His love for us by being rejected and then becoming the cornerstone of our salvation. He acknowledged it was God’s doing and a marvelous thing. We must choose to respond to this marvelous love.

Amazed, astonished, surprised. That is the effect God’s love should have on us. When we become aware of His love and realize our access into His presence is solely because of it we will undoubtedly be amazed. Cultivate this sense of wonder by looking to Jesus right now.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and how marvelous and wonderful it is that Jesus has become the cornerstone. It is very important for us to remember because His love is built on this.  Make this your simple prayer “Jesus, help me see Your love clearly.” 

Our Song

To sing well, one must be able to have a command of not only their voice, but also their breath. The breath forms the foundational support to allow vibrant dynamic singing. Jesus has become not only the cornerstone of our faith but also the support of our song.

Because of what Jesus has accomplished our song will last longer than this life. It will last forever. As long as we have being we will be offering our song of praise to Jesus, and He makes it so our being is eternal.

And my song shall ever be

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. Psalm 104:33 ESV

Here is our response. We will sing as long as we live. But what happens after this life? We will keep singing because our souls are eternal and they have been redeemed. Are you committed to singing God’s love eternally? When did you last do it? How will you do it today?

When you have a clear picture of God’s love for you there really is only one appropriate response, continual praise for the remainder of your existence. Because of His love for you, that is an eternity in His presence, filled with awe and wonder. Enjoy your standing today.

RESONATE
Take a few moments and think about your song. Have you offered it to Jesus today? An awareness of His love and presence informs a life of praise. Pray this simple prayer, “Jesus, help me to live in an awareness of Your presence.“  

Jesus, thank You for giving me a song to sing, and providing the support for me to be able to do it. I will sing to You as long as I live. Give me strength to glorify Your name. In Jesus’ name. 

Continual 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.

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

Video 48.5 Transcript

Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene
And wonder how He could love me
A sinner condemned unclean

Amazed, astonished, surprised. That is the effect God’s love should have on us. When we become aware of His love and realize our access into His presence is solely because of it we will undoubtedly be amazed. Cultivate this sense of wonder by looking to Jesus right now.

Jesus, help me see Your love clearly.

When you have a clear picture of God’s love for you there really is only one appropriate response, continual praise for the remainder of your existence. Because of His love for you, that is an eternity in His presence, filled with awe and wonder. Enjoy your standing today.

Jesus, help me to live in an awareness of Your presence.

Wonder introduces a quality of admiration to our astonishment. We marvel at His love for us and then admire the incredible sacrifice it required. How do you show admiration for lessor acts of love? Certainly your response to His love should dwarf those. Does it?

Jesus, help me respond to Your love today.

Jesus loves you. A recent commercial series advanced this idea “He Gets Us”. That’s true. He gets us like no one ever could, and even though He does, He still loves us, which makes His love even more remarkable. Jesus knows you, and still loves you. Sit in that love for a time.

Jesus, help me to rest in Your love right now.

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.

How marvelous how wonderful
And my song shall ever be
How marvelous how wonderful
Is my Saviour’s love for me

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 Support for Our Song appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
How marvelous how wonderful – https://spiritandtruthonline.org/jesus-christ-the-cornerstone/
And my song shall ever be – https://guideposts.org/prayer/quotes-verses/5-ways-to-sing-your-praise-to-god/