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Minding the Flow of God’s Care

It streams from the hills it descends to the plain

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite
It breathes in the air it shines in the light
It streams from the hills it descends to the plain
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain

O Worship the King 1561
By: William Kethe (?-1594)

Listen to this worshipful version of this hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. 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.

As we continue our journey through this ancient text and hymn, think about how God’s care flows through the majestic and the minute. From grand vistas to the closest droplet of water it is everywhere. Do you have eyes to see it? Let’s think about this.

Streams Descending

From the light and air of the previous line, we turn our attention to the care of God expressed in the flowing stream. What beautiful imagery making the profound and extravagant accessible and within reach. God’s bountiful care flows to us like the waters from on high, trickling down through raindrop and rivulet to quench our thirst and refresh our souls.

There is a sense in which this flow is unstoppable. It works its way down to us from on high, and finds some course to flow with the pull of gravity to the lowest places we may visit. Using the downward descent of water to portray the care of our God to us is inspiring.

It streams from the hills it descends to the plain

But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, Deuteronomy 11:11 ESV

Though the Scripture here is addressing the Promised Land the Israelites were about to inherit and actual water flowing there, they are but one illustration of God’s care. Even so, they are a beautiful representation of it. His care flows from heaven and our lives drink it up.

This is good news because we all find ourselves in thirsty places at one time or another. It can seem like God’s care is so far off in those moments when our weary souls become parched. The imagery of this stanza reminds us that God’s care will flow to us if we will simply walk in His promises.

Whether you find yourself on a mountaintop or a valley you are not outside of the reach of God’s plentiful kindness. It will meet you wherever you are if you will simply open yourself up to its flow, and wait for it. Whatever you need today, wait for His streams of care to flow to you.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and think about God’s care flowing down to you. Are you willing to wait for it? Pray this simple prayer, “Spirit, help me wait for Your streams of care.” Then find your soul refreshed in His streams.

Sweetly Distilled

And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain

God’s care flows to us from above. We must learn to wait and allow it to collect into droplets of blessing. Often times we miss it because we are in too much of a hurry to let it distill.

Just like the process of distilling extracts the essence of something, whether physically of linguistically, it happens a little at a time. It is a process that truly can not be rushed. God’s care sometimes appears slowly or in small quantities at a time. Dew and rain are perfect picture of how His care sometimes flows to us.

Is there an area of your life that needs His care? Will you wait for it to distill to appear slowly, or will you impatiently complain that it is not coming quickly enough? Sometimes it stream from the hills, and other times it sweetly distills. God knows what is best for you. Wait for the refreshing to come in the fashion that serves His purposes best.

And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain

May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. Deuteronomy 32:2 ESV

There is a refreshing that comes with the dew and the rain. Even the anticipation of it can be felt in the air. Our souls can receive God’s instruction in a similar way. His instruction is one of the simplest and most profound ways He cares for us. How will you receive it today?

The quiet and gentle gathering together of the smallest expressions of God’s care is sweet indeed. As you open your heart to that accumulation prepare to find your soul refreshed, not only in the flow but even in the process. Hoping in God’s care changes your entire perspective.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider how God’s care may be distilling for you today, this week, this season. It probably is coming more slowly than you might like, but the flow is perfectly controlled by our gracious King. Wait for it. Put your hope in it and Him. Pray simply, “Lord, my hope is in Your care.”

Lord, thank You for how You care for me. Never overwhelming, but just right. Teach me to wait for your care to come at the pace You have ordained. In Jesus name. Amen.

Receptive 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 32.3 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.

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7 ESV

This entire stanza is about the care God gives us and how inexpressible it is. Never do we know that better than when we see His goodness displayed in the midst of trouble. Take refuge in Him again today and know His care as only those who do so can.

It breathes in the air it shines in the light

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 ESV

We spend the balance of this stanza reciting the many and varied ways God’s care comes to us. I love the poetry here describing it as breathing and shining in the light and air. Everything we need flows from Him and His changeless nature, including breath and light. Thank Him.

It streams from the hills it descends to the plain

But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, Deuteronomy 11:11 ESV

Though the Scripture here is addressing the Promised Land the Israelites were about to inherit and actual water flowing there, they are but one illustration of God’s care. Even so, they are a beautiful representation of it. His care flows from heaven and our lives drink it up.

And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain

May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. Deuteronomy 32:2 ESV

There is a refreshing that comes with the dew and the rain. Even the anticipation of it can be felt in the air. Our souls can receive God’s instruction in a similar way. His instruction is one of the simplest and most profound ways He cares for us. How will you receive it 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.

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite
It breathes in the air it shines in the light
It streams from the hills it descends to the plain
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain

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 Minding the Flow of God’s Care appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attribution
It streams from the hills it descends to the plain – https://pixabay.com/photos/wilderness-river-mountains-nature-5381117/
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain – https://pixabay.com/photos/pine-pinus-needle-leaves-drop-dew-3127210/

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No Tongue Can Tell, But Still We Try

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite
It breathes in the air it shines in the light
It streams from the hills it descends to the plain
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain

O Worship the King 1561
By: William Kethe (?-1594)

Listen to this modern version of this ancient 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!!

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 ancient hymn prepare to get in on the worship. If you are going to issue this call to worship with any authenticity you need to make certain you are engaged in worship. Let’s tune our hearts.

Tongue

I love rhetorical questions. They state something in a way that could get a discourse started, but more often are used to state the questioners view in a very emphatic way. Either way, they are generally not intended to be answered directly.

The beauty of this question is that it is asking about the use of the tongue. The implication is that no tongue can recite the bountiful care of God, so the question can be answered, “None”. What is humorous about that is the same tongue that doesn’t really need to bother answering the question is also not capable of doing what the question asks.

All that to say, there is a lot of nothing the tongue can really do here.

God’s care for us is so abundant and given so generously it is impossible for it to be repeated with words, and yet we make our efforts to do so anyway. Why? Because He is worthy of attention being drawn to Him, and it does our souls good to recount it. Will you do it?

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7 ESV

This entire stanza is about the care God gives us and how inexpressible it is. Never do we know that better than when we see His goodness displayed in the midst of trouble. Take refuge in Him again today and know His care as only those who do so can.

 

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider how inexpressible the care of God is. Even still we do our best to express it. Make this your simple prayer today “God, I commit to reciting Your care.” Then trust Him to help you do it.

Air and Light

It breathes in the air it shines in the light

We see here the first evidence of just how inexpressible is the care of our God. And what a powerful, poetic beginning it is! Since the tongue is incapable of reciting His care, the writer shows us that God instead uses other ways to declare it. In this line, air and light.

What is interesting about this line is that there are two possible meanings. The obvious stated one on both counts, and a more subtle, profound one. The first is that God’s care gives us breath and illumination through the air and light we enjoy. The other is that God’s care is actually active in the air and light, breathing and shining. This way the respective media become not only the vehicle for His care, but the care itself.

It breathes in the air it shines in the light

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 ESV

We spend the balance of this stanza reciting the many and varied ways God’s care comes to us. I love the poetry here describing it as breathing and shining in the light and air. Everything we need flows from Him and His changeless nature, including breath and light. Thank Him.

Take a deep breath. Turn on some light. These two media are essential aspects of life, breath and life. God’s care flows through every breath of air and ray of light, but can easily go overlooked or ignored. Cultivate a grateful heart that gives God praise for the simplest of things.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider how God’s care is evident in air and light. How kind of Him to give us air to breathe and light to illumine. Pray a simple prayer like this one, “Jesus, cultivate a grateful heart in me.” Then trust the Spirit to help you practice that every day.

God, thank You for caring for in ways that go beyond what our tongues and recite or retell. Even so, we will try because You are so worthy of our worship. To that end, thank You for giving us light to see it and breath to tell it. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Speechless 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 32.3 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.

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite
It breathes in the air it shines in the light
It streams from the hills it descends to the plain
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain

God’s care for us is so abundant and given so generously it is impossible for it to be repeated with words, and yet we make our efforts to do so anyway. Why? Because He is worthy of attention being drawn to Him, and it does our souls good to recount it. Will you do it?

God, I commit to reciting Your care.

Take a deep breath. Turn on some light. These two mediums are essential aspects of life, breath and life. God’s care flows through every breath of air and ray of light, but can easily go overlooked or ignored. Cultivate a grateful heart that gives God praise for the simplest of things.

Jesus, cultivate a grateful heart in me.

Whether you find yourself on a mountaintop or a valley you are not outside of the reach of God’s plentiful kindness. It will meet you wherever you are if you will simply open yourself up to its flow, and wait for it. Whatever you need today, wait for His streams of care to flow to you.

Spirit, help me wait for Your streams of care.

The quiet and gentle gathering together of the smallest expressions of God’s care is sweet indeed. As you open your heart to that accumulation prepare to find your soul refreshed, not only in the flow but even in the process. Hoping in God’s care changes your entire perspective. 

Lord, my hope is in Your care.

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 No Tongue Can Tell, But Still We Try appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite – https://pixabay.com/vectors/tongue-sticking-mouth-body-human-35319/
It breathes in the air it shines in the light – https://pixabay.com/photos/nature-panorama-heaven-sun-light-3086518/

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Seeing God is Deep Darkness

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form

O tell of His might O sing of His grace
Whose robe is the light whose canopy space
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

O Worship the King 1561
By: William Kethe (?-1594)

Listen to this worshipful version of this hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. 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.

As we continue our journey through this classic text and hymn, think about what it will mean to sincerely offer each part of your life and your entire life to God. It requires diligence and intentionality. Thanks for joining us in this grand pursuit. Let’s think about this.

Thunderclouds Formed by Wrath

His activity, riding around in His chariot of wrath, creates the thunderclouds? Does God ride around in a chariot? Does that chariot form the thunderclouds? And where does His wrath figure into all that?

We might be tempted to think these are simply beautiful word pictures used by the hymn writer to stir our imagination. But they are not simply that. The Scripture bears out the truth behind the imagery.

God is real and His activity and movements have effects on the world in which we live. These truths help us to cultivate an awareness of God and an appreciation of His power revealed to us. Then there is His wrath.

He has clearly spoken that there are consequences to our actions. In a global sense, our actions are rebellious and illicit a response from God. We deserve His wrath, but instead He often gives us His mercy. Even still, there is the reality of wrath for all the wrongs of mankind, and just maybe His thunderclouds warn that a day of reckoning is coming.

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form

He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
    he rides on the wings of the wind; Psalm 104:3 ESV

Thunderclouds are His chariot. He rides on them. Wow! But chariots of wrath? What makes this great King extremely angry? Could it be because His creatures do not choose to worship Him when He is so worthy? Might He be inviting us to respond to His power in awe and wonder?

Thunderclouds are formed in the wake of His wrathful chariots, as He moves about the heavens accomplishing His divine purposes. What do you imagine stirs up that wrath? Ask Him to reveal that to you and then respond in wonder and worship.

 

 

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and think about what may stir Gods wrath. Do you play a part in that? Pray this simple prayer, “God, reveal what stirs up Your wrath.” Then respond in repentance and worship to what He shows you.

Storm Wings

And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

The Scripture above not only spoke of the clouds as chariots for God, but also that He rides on the wings of the wind, in the last line here the wings of the storm. What does that mean? The phrase about the wind seems to mean with utmost velocity or the highest speed.

So, God is in a hurry? Or maybe it is equating His speed is as great as His power. That seems to make a little more sense. But there remains at least a bit of mystery in the imagery.

Then there is the description of His path being “dark”. Again we are challenged to think of God in ways that are not simply light. To me that implies a heaviness or seriousness which certainly must be a part of the way we imagine God.

And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
    which lifted up the waves of the sea…
He made the storm be still,
    and the waves of the sea were hushed. Psalm 107:25, 29 ESV

Like horses that move at the will of their rider, so the storm clouds respond to the will of our God. The One who robes Himself in light travels a dark path through the storm. Seems like an interesting juxtaposition, even mysterious. So is our King, Commander of the winds and waves.

The wings of the storm? Like the edges, or that which causes the storm to move. The imagery here is very powerful. Darkness, wrath, storms and thunder, God on the move revealing His might. What impact on you and your worship will that revelation have today?

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider how God reveals Himself in the dark movement of the storms in the heavens, and the ones in our lives. When things get dark are you willing to consider God might still be very much in the middle of them? Ask God for eyes to see Him in the darkness. Pray simply, “Spirit, help me respond in worship.” 

Lord, thank You for the mysterious and powerful ways You reveal Yourself to us. Help me to always have my eyes wide open to see them. When I do, please help me respond in worship. In Jesus name. Amen.

Awe-filled 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 32.2 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 tell of His might O sing of His grace

Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! Psalm 96:2-3 ESV

Sing and tell. That is what we are supposed to do once we have come to understand the matchless might and glorious grace of our King. Will you commit today to do it? Use both your speaking and your singing voice to make His might and grace known as often as you can.

Whose robe is the light whose canopy space

…You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
   covering yourself with light as with a garment,
    stretching out the heavens like a tent. Psalm 104:1b-2 ESV

Now we are talking. This King we worship is able to make a garment out of light! As if that description were not incredible enough it continues by declaring that His dwelling place is the entirety of the heavens, even space itself. This is the One we worship. He is worthy!

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form

He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
    he rides on the wings of the wind; Psalm 104:3 ESV

Thunderclouds are His chariot. He rides on them. Wow! But chariots of wrath? What makes this great King extremely angry? Could it be because His creatures do not choose to worship Him when He is so worthy? Might He be inviting us to respond to His power in awe and wonder?

And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
    which lifted up the waves of the sea…
He made the storm be still,
    and the waves of the sea were hushed. Psalm 107:25, 29 ESV

Like horses that move at the will of their rider, so the storm clouds respond to the will of our God. The One who robes Himself in light travels a dark path through the storm. Seems like an interesting juxtaposition, even mysterious. So is our King, Commander of the winds and waves.

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 tell of His might O sing of His grace
Whose robe is the light whose canopy space
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

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 Seeing God is Deep Darkness appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attribution
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form – https://pixabay.com/photos/panorama-nature-landscape-heaven-3123470/
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm – https://pixabay.com/photos/thunderstorm-lightning-clouds-sky-6346810/

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Share the story of His glow

Welcome to Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri–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.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined How the Story Ends. This week we will examine Tell It.  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: Psalm 104:1-3 Amplified Bible

Psalm 104

Praise the Lord, my Soul
Lord my God, you are great;
The Lord wraps Himself in light as with a garment;
He stretches out the heavens like a tent and
lays the beams of His upper chambers on their waters.

God, our Creator you are magnificent. Your glorious might and grace are not something I can keep silent about. I must share the story of your glow.

PSALM: O Worship the King 1561
William Kethe (?-1594); Robert Grant (1779-1838)

O tell of His might O sing of His grace
Whose robe is the light whose canopy space
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

Grant’s writing was influenced by William Kethe’s paraphrase of Psalm 104 in the Anglo-Genevan Psalter. Psalm 104 begins with the invitation to Praise the Lord, my Soul. Both authors agreed the story of God’s mighty, marvelous, and gracious works should be shared.

PARABLE:  I sat on the hot sand with my great-nieces, scooping the sand with our hands and trying to count the morsels. The waves of the Atlantic Ocean turned the sand into a thick mud clay that we formed into a heart. The grains of sand are too many to count. The waves of the ocean are too mysterious to judge. The big waves that seem as though they are going to overtake you gently land at the foot of the sand statue. The small waves that appear as if they will stop before reaching the sand wash up past the shore. 

The light and warmth of the sun kisses our skin and darkens our melanin. Eventually, without warning, the warm waves wash away the sand statue and leave our bodies cloaked with sand that takes days to find and even longer to cleanse. Our tans, our glow, our smiles tell the story that we experienced something marvelous. There is no figuring out the wonders of the sand and sea. We realize that the sand is not there for us to count. The waves are not there for us to predict. Both are just marvelous works for us to enjoy and opportunities for us to create stories that we can share.

We marvel at the encounter. We recognize that the mighty SON, full of grace and love, has shown on us. We are reminded of His SON kisses when we see the canopy of stars by night and the light of the sun by day. When we hear the roar of thunder and feel the cleansing rain. When we hear the giggle of a child and see the tears of the parent. The residue of his loving mercy, compassion and grace leaves traces of His touch and a glow of His Presence that we can’t trace. Our glow, our joy tell the story that we experienced something marvelous. It prompts the response of praise! We have to share the story of His mighty works.

There is no figuring out the wonders of God’s love. Unending grace is not for us to count. God’s mighty acts are not for us to predict. All are just marvelous works of His hand and opportunities for us to share the story of His glow so that others too may praise His wondrous works! What story will you tell of God’s marvelous works? What song will you sing of His gracious love? 

Soul care training exercise:  Take a moment and turn your attention to seeking the loving Presence of God. Ponder the question What story can I share of God’s marvelous, mighty, and gracious acts? Reflect and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you what God wants to say to you about the story of His mighty and marvelous acts and gracious love?

Notice without judgment and with a curious awareness of what comes to your mind. Invite God into your sanctified imagination. Ask Him to bring to your attention what He wants you to know.

  • Next scan your mind and notice what the Holy Spirit is sharing that you need to know, hear, or do to share the story of His mighty, marvelous, and gracious love. Expand your thoughts, it may be something you never heard told this way before.
  • Finally, Focus on what you see and hear. Allow praise to form within you. Take a deep breath in and release a song unto the Lord.

PRAYER: Father, you are the Great Creator. Help me to notice the glow of your glory and to share the story of your wondrous and mighty works and gracious love. In the 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 praise God for a good ending. Then take the mindfulness of God’s glorious glow in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post This is how the story ends appeared first on Resonant 7.

BONUS REFLECTION: Take five minutes to listen to the Share the Glory Story guided meditation.

Image attributions:  Text art app with words added

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Sharing the God of Extremes

O tell of His might O sing of His grace

O tell of His might O sing of His grace
Whose robe is the light whose canopy space
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

O Worship the King 1561
By: William Kethe (?-1594)

Listen to this modern version of this ancient 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!!

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 ancient hymn prepare to get in on the worship. If you are going to issue this call to worship with any authenticity you need to make certain you are engaged in worship. Let’s tune our hearts.

How Do You Use Your Voice?

Every day we use our voice in many ways. We call a friend. We sing a song. We warn someone of danger. We heap praise on someone for a job well done. and the list goes on.

But how often do we use our voices for the most noble of pursuits, making God known?

As we come to know God ourselves we must be quick to begin to make Him known. It should become a part of our normal routine and common usage of our vocal capacities. If it is not, start small and use your voice for God today. Then repeat it again tomorrow. If you do this is will not be long before you are routinely telling and singing.

O tell of His might O sing of His grace

Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! Psalm 96:2-3 ESV

Sing and tell. That is what we are supposed to do once we have come to understand the matchless might and glorious grace of our King. Will you commit today to do it? Use both your speaking and your singing voice to make His might and grace known as often as you can.

Our King brings together might and grace in a remarkable way and we must employ both our speaking and our singing to make that truth known. We use our voices for many other purpose but when did you last use each of them for those? How about today?

 

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and ask God to show you how you are using your voice. Maybe there are some ways you should start using it more, and other ways you should use it less. Make this your simple prayer today “Lord, help me use my voice to make you known.” Then trust Him to help you do it.

Light and Dark

Whose robe is the light whose canopy space

As much as might and grace may be perceived as opposite ends of the spectrum, it is undeniably true that light and dark are the epitome of extremes. Though they could be no more different than they are, God is present in both of them. Just as present in the black hole as He is in the center of the brightest star.

We begin to wrap our minds around this truth and quickly realize we are going to need some help. God present in light, sure. But God equally present in darkness? What?!?

God is present in the stars that light up the night sky. He is no less present in any of the black spaces between them. The same is true in the light and dark places of our existence. When you go through darkness, you are never alone. God was there before you arrived and will still be there when you have move on.

Whose robe is the light whose canopy space

…You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
  covering yourself with light as with a garment,
    stretching out the heavens like a tent. Psalm 104:1b-2 ESV

Now we are talking. This King we worship is able to make a garment out of light! As if that description were not incredible enough it continues by declaring that His dwelling place is the entirety of the heavens, even space itself. This is the One we worship. He is worthy!

Clothed with bright light and dwelling in dark space. This is our God again bringing together two extremes, here light and dark. He is present in both and both serve His purposes. Which is harder for you to imagine? His presence in light or dark? Ask Him to show you Himself there.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider how God is present in both light and dark. There is simply nowhere He is not. Pray a simple prayer like this one, “Father, show me Your presence in light and dark.” Then trust the Spirit to help you practice that every day.

God, thank You for being present in light and dark. It reminds me I am never alone. Continually expand my mind to take the reality of You in. 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.

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Video 32.2 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 tell of His might O sing of His grace
Whose robe is the light whose canopy space
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

Our King brings together might and grace in a remarkable way and we must employ both our speaking and our singing to make that truth known. We use our voices for many other purpose but when did you last use each of them for those? How about today?

Lord, help me use my voice to make you known.

Clothed with bright light and dwelling in dark space. This is our God again bringing together two extremes, here light and dark. He is present in both and both serve His purposes. Which is harder for you to imagine? His presence in light or dark? Ask Him to show you Himself there.

Father, show me Your presence in light and dark.

Thunderclouds are formed in the wake of His wrathful chariots, as He moves about the heavens accomplishing His divine purposes. What do you imagine stirs up that wrath? Ask Him to reveal that to you and then respond in wonder and worship.

God, reveal what stirs up Your wrath.

The wings of the storm? Like the edges, or that which causes the storm to move. The imagery here is very powerful. Darkness, wrath, storms and thunder, God on the move revealing His might. What impact on you and your worship will that revelation have today?

Spirit, help me respond in worship.

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 Sharing the God of Extremes appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
O tell of His might O sing of His grace – https://pixabay.com/vectors/speech-icon-voice-talking-audio-2797263/
Whose robe is the light whose canopy space –  https://pixabay.com/photos/astronomy-bright-constellation-dark-1867616/

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