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Love in Motion

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  Bathe my Heart. This week we will examine Love in Motion.  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: Acts 17:28 Amplified Bible

28 For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being], as even some of [a]your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

Our hands and feet are instruments that can move for the Glory of God.

PSALM: Take my Life Frances Havergal (1836-1879) 

Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Frances Havergal was known as the consecration poet. She strived to live a life fully dedicated to Christ and to those she saw in any physical or spiritual need.

PARABLE:  Before last year, I would have doubted that I could experience God through movements. When you are at the lowest emotional place you have been, you will try anything. Upon seeking recovery for my complicated grief, my counselor advised me to try yoga. My inner religious critic began to tell me that yoga was not of God. After meeting God on the mat during my first Christ-centered yoga experience, I realized that God is the Creator and has created everything for His Glory.

I put love in motion and surrendered my hands and feet to the impulse of His love and it has been beautiful.  God has allowed me to become a Certified Yoga Teacher and be trained in EMDR (trauma therapy) and yoga. Not only have I continued to meet God on my mat but He has allowed me to lead others to His Presence through restorative stretches.  My mat time is an act of worship. Every prayer hand I make reminds me to stop and pray to my God who hears and answers prayer. Every warrior pose I take reminds me to stand strong and courageous suited in the Armor of God as He fights for me. Every Child’s pose reminds me to surrender my cares to the one who cares for me. Every final resting pose reminds me to rest in His Presence. 

I am being pulled to deeper waters and to let God water the seed of MiBoSo (mind, body, and soul) Ministry that He placed within me. MiBoSo includes meditations to calm and still the mind, restorative movements to relax the body, and moments to search the soul. God is drawing me to put love in motion and be a vessel of healing to hurting people as I invite them to meet Him on the mat. It may not be your call. It may cause controversy within your mind. BUT I realize that it is In God I live (Genesis 2: 7; Acts 17:25) for He is the Breath of Life and the Giver of Life. My existence depends on Him. I know In God I move. He is the one who gives me physical and spiritual strength when I am weary to do all things in love (Psalm 68:35; Isiah 40:29-31; 1 Corin 16:14. I accept that In God I have my Being (Colossians 1:16-17) and I am held together by Him. So, I will commit every breath I take and every move I make on the mat to the Glory of God.

Soul care training exercise:  What is God desiring of your hands and feet? How is He asking you to put your love in motion? 

  • Reflect and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you the new way He would like to put your love into motion.
    • 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 how you can offer your hands, offer your feet, and move swiftly for HIM?
  • Next scan your mind and notice what the Holy Spirit is sharing that you need to know, hear, or do to put love in motion. Expand your thoughts, it may be something you never thought He would lead you to do.
  • Finally, Focus on your breath. As you breathe in remember that it is God that you live, in God that you move, and in God that you have your being.

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, take my hands, take my feet, take my life and let it be an offering unto you. Cease the chatter of the Evil One who attempts to discourage me of the way I offer myself to you. Remind me that as I commit WHATEVER I do to you that YOU will establish my plans.

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to experience the creative Presence of God. Then take the mindfulness of God’s creative Presence moving and being within you in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Love in Motion appeared first on Resonant 7.

BONUS REFLECTION: Take five minutes to listen to the Take my Hands guided meditation.

Image attributions:  Text art app with words added

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Constraining Your Hands to the Impulses of Love

Take my hands and let them move

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee

Take My Life and Let It Be Consecrated 1874
By: Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

Listen to this worshipful version of this 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 continue our journey through this classic hymn, work 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 tune our hearts.

Hands Moving

Doing. That really is the essence of this next commitment. What will I do and how will I employ my hands to do it?

Our hands are rarely still. From the moment we awake until we are asleep again, our hands are moving and doing. So what is driving them.

Often there are things to do that are simply purposeful. Getting ready for the day. Doing work. Helping those we care about.

But there are many other things to do that are our less purposeful and are simply for pleasure. Playing with our children. Throwing a ball. Climbing a tree.

Whether purposeful for pleasure there is ever the possibility of lacking true meaning, making a real difference in the world. That can lead us to the very honest conclusion that all that activity is for nothing. It may all be in vain.

But that need not be the case. Offer your hands to God and He will fill them with purpose.

Take my hands and let them move

Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:11 ESV

There is no shortage of things into which we can engage our hands, and many will leave us feeling like wise Solomon. Wiser still is the one who determines to offer their hands to God for His purposes. Will you offer your hands to God and His purposes today?

When we offer our hands to God they become His to direct. Even still He gives us the freedom to move them on our own, but a much better choice is to patiently wait for His prompting. God does really take your hands, but you must really give them to find them useful in His service.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and offer your hands to God. Your hands accomplish most of the doing in your life so it makes sense they are the first thing we are going to commit to God as we start our list.  Make this your simple prayer today “Father, I offer You my hands.” Then watch His fill their activity with Divine purpose.

Impulse of Love

At the impulse of Thy love

There is no more Divine purpose than to respond to the love of God with love of our own. There are few better ways to do that than to yell our hands to the impulse of love. But what is an impulse?

An impulse is a sudden urge or strong desire to act. So, an impulse of love is a sudden urge that demonstrates love, or a strong desire to act that is prompted by love. Those impulses will be directed by the Holy Spirit and one way to begin to discern His direction is to learn His ways.

We do that by learning His commandments because they teach the ways of love. They constrain us from our own selfish pursuits and invite us to loftier ideals. They begin to develop within us the very impulses that our hands will help us act out.

At the impulse of Thy love

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments…” John 14:15 ESV

Guided by His love and our response of love. What does that look like? It may very closely resemble the hands that toil like Solomon’s but there is no vanity in the work of hands consecrated to God’s way of love. Commit your hands to move as His love directs.

When you have yielded your hands to God you can begin to sense the impulses of His Spirit directing them. He is gentle and will not force His way but will lead if you will stay open to His prodding. It is love that guides Him and that is exactly how He wants you to move. In love.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and invite the Spirit to come teach you the ways of love as revealed in the commands of God. Then ask Jesus to help you set your hands apart to put His love on display. Pray a simple prayer like this one. “Spirit, move my hands at the impulse of Your love.” Then keep your hands ready to follow the impulse of love.

Lord, thank You for inviting me into Your love and giving me the opportunity to find purpose in using my hands to put it on display. Take my hands and let them love at the impulse of Your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Purposeful 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 30.2 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.

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee

When we offer our hands to God they become His to direct. Even still He gives us the freedom to move them on our own, but a much better choice is to patiently wait for His prompting. God does not really take your hands, but you must really give them to find them useful in His service.

Father, I offer You my hands.

When you have yielded your hands to God you can begin to sense the impulses of His Spirit directing them. He is gentle and will not force His way but will lead if you will stay open to His prodding. It is love that guides Him and that is exactly how He wants you to move. In love.

Spirit, move my hands at the impulse of Your love.

Where will you go, or not go? Will you offer your feet to God so that He can move you or keep you to do His will? This seems so simple but requires a great deal of intentionality and patience. You will likely want to move before He moves you. Wait for Him. Offer and wait.

Jesus, my feet will wait for You.

Not only beautiful because they bring good news, but swift because they are anxious to do so. Why? Because people are perishing and need to hear there is a Savior. Wait for Him, but be ready to move and move quickly when He directs. Someone else may be waiting for you.

Spirit, make my feet swift and beautiful.

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 Constraining Your Hands to the Impulses of Love appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Take my hands and let them move – https://pixabay.com/photos/hands-light-hand-prayer-technology-5366493/
At the impulse of Thy love – https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-love-sunset-shape-sign-3147976/

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What Does It Look Like to Worship God Constantly?

Take my moments and my days

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise

Take My Life and Let It Be Consecrated 1874
By: Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

Listen to this modern version of this classic 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 begin 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.

Moments and Days

Having offered our entire life to God in the opening part of this first stanza we begin here to enumerate the different areas which make up our life. Specifically we acknowledge time, through the lens of moments and days. Those two diverse increments provide us a contrast which helps to frame the commitment we are making in this second half of the first stanza.

A moment is a very small increment of time. Days are many moments strung together. Both are segments of time. Time provides the linear backdrop for the living we have committed to God. We are essentially telling God that we want Him to help us make the most of the time we are given.

Take my moments and my days

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV

A life lived accomplishing God’s will is made up of moments which accumulate to form days spent in this grand pursuit. Living purposefully in the smallest increments prepares us for the larger ones. Are you willing to offer God your moments, minutes, hours and days?

A faithful life is made up of millions of moments lived faithfully. Seems obvious, right? Yet without the awareness that all those smaller decisions contribute to a larger whole, it is easy to forget their significance. Ask the Spirit to fill you with that awareness and your life with purpose.

RESONATE!
Living our moments and days to God’s glory requires intent, awareness and diligence. We need His help to be faithful in the little things and big things alike. Pray this simple prayer, “Spirit, fill every moment of every day.“

Ceaseless Praise

Let them flow in ceaseless praise

Whether we are living moments or days, there is one activity that we want to characterize them all, ceaseless or continual praise. Brother Lawrence’s thought’s on this subject are captured in the classic “The Practice of the Presence of God”. In it, he talks about his learning to pursue God’s presence in the mundane things of life.

If we are going to live lives of continual worship, we must learn to walk with an awareness of God’s presence. It starts in moments and grows to consume larger increments of time. It becomes a way of living, or a lifestyle, not just an activity we engage in occasionally.

Let them flow in ceaseless praise

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 ESV

Moments and days filled with praise. Not just songs of worship, but worship as a way of life. This certainly includes giving glory to God with our mouths but ultimately involves everything we are, everywhere we do, everywhere we go. Ask God to help you fulfill that commitment.

Like the drops of water that form a stream, so the moments of praise flow to make a life of unending worship. We must not simply sing songs of praise. Their words must shape the way we live every moment of every day as we pursue worship as a way of life, not just a part of life.

RESONATE!
Have you ever thought of praise in this way? Not constantly singing songs, but living your life for the glory of God. Giving Him praise in every word, thought and deed. Do not be overwhelmed with this idea. Pray simply, “Lord, help me praise You continually.” Then keep praying and watch Him answer.

Jesus help me learn how to fill every moment and day with Your praise. Not only with my songs but my words and actions as well. I want to praise You without ceasing. Please help me. In Jesus name. Amen.

Worshipful 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 30.1 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.

Take my life and let it be

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 ESV

All of the other expressions of this classic hymn are summed up in this opening line: take my life, all that I am. The other lines give us the chance to list out different parts of our lives but we start by offering it all, and all in response to God’s mercy. Offer your life to Him today.

Consecrated Lord to Thee

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 ESV

Consecrated means to set apart. We are saying that we want our lives to be lived to accomplish His will. As we offer our lives as an act of worship, our minds are transformed enabling us to discern His will. Commit today to set yourself apart for His glory.

Take my moments and my days

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV

A life lived accomplishing God’s will is made up of moments which accumulate to form days spent in this grand pursuit. Living purposefully in the smallest increments prepares us for the larger ones. Are you willing to offer God your moments, minutes, hours and days? 

Let them flow in ceaseless praise

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 ESV

Moments and days filled with praise. Not just songs of worship, but worship as a way of life. This certainly includes giving glory to God with our mouths but ultimately involves everything we are, everywhere we do, everywhere we go. Ask God to help you fulfill that commitment.

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.

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Let them flow in ceaseless praise

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 Does It Look Like to Worship God Constantly? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attribution
Take my moments and my days – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/clock-clock-face-wave-present-year-1527692/
Let them flow in ceaseless praise – https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-sky-sunlight-arms-open-arms-2667455/

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Are You Asking God to Use You or Leave You Alone?

Take my life and let it be

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise

Take My Life and Let It Be Consecrated 1874
By: Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

Listen to this worshipful version of this 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 classic hymn, work 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 tune our hearts.

Present

To be clear, we are not asking God to leave us alone. The title of this hymn often leaves of the word consecrated, making the statement open to the interpretation that we are asking God to take our lives and “let them be”. Nothing could be further from the truth of God’s intention for us.

Present as a verb means to give someone something. Present as a noun can be the gift you are giving.

When we think of presenting our lives to God, we are engaging in the act of giving Him something. The something we are giving Him is our lives. Our lives are made up of many different components or areas but to say we give God our lives is meant to be an all-encompassing expression of worship as the Scripture below makes clear.

We start with this gran expression of giving our lives to God and over the next six weeks through the six stanzas of this hymn we will list many of those different areas. I am certain the hymn writer intended for it to be a kind of inventory making clear what exactly we are presenting to God. But it also serves as a kind of checklist for us so we may be certain we are not holding anything back.

Don’t hold anything back.

In response to what He has given us, His many mercies, offering our lives to Him is the only appropriate one.

Take my life and let it be

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 ESV

All of the other expressions of this classic hymn are summed up in this opening line: take my life, all that I am. The other lines give us the chance to list out different parts of our lives but we start by offering it all, and all in response to God’s mercy. Offer your life to Him today.

We offer our lives to God, our living, breathing, moving around and doing. All that we are. Like many simple commitments it is easier said than done, but it is important to say it. As we begin our journey through this classic hymn offer your life to God, to be consecrated to His ways.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and offer your life to God. It really is the only thing you have to offer, but it is also all that God wants, everything.  Make this your simple prayer today “Father, I offer you my life.” Then let us examine all that this entails starting with Who we are offering our lives to in the first place.

Lord

Consecrated Lord to Thee

We are not offering our lives to just anybody. We are offering them to the Sovereign Lord over all creation. The King of kings. This is an important thing to remember.

He has a purpose for all things, including you, and that purpose is to bring Him glory. Though that may seem a little egocentric to us, God is the only one worthy of all glory so it really is simply the right thing to do.

In a general sense, that is His will for all. But you are responsible to place your life in His hands even as you work to discern the specific way your life will conform to that purpose.

Acknowledge Him for who He is. That is the beginning point. It sets the context for discovering and embracing His purposes for your life. This will require a change of heart and mind, for the world pulls you in an entirely different direction.

Consecrated Lord to Thee

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 ESV

Consecrated means to set apart. We are saying that we want our lives to be lived to accomplish His will. As we offer our lives as an act of worship our minds are transformed enabling us to discern His will. Commit today to set yourself apart for His glory.

We are not just offering our lives to God, but to His purposes. We want to find His purpose and live it. To be set apart. He is the Sovereign of our lives so we yield control to our Lord to use us according to His design. Not asking His blessing on our plans, but the blessing of living His.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and invite the Spirit to come transform you mind and reveal to you the will of God. Then ask Jesus to help you set yourself apart for His will to be done in You. Pray a simple prayer like this one. “Jesus, set me apart for You.” Then keep your eyes open for opportunities to be set apart.

Lord, thank You for showing me Your mercies and giving me to opportunity to live my life in response to them by offering it to You. You are my King and I want to live to fulfill Your will. Help me to surrender my life every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Consecrated 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 30.1 Transcript

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

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise

We offer our lives to God, our living, breathing, moving around and doing. All that we are. Like many simple commitments it is easier said than done, but it is important to say it. As we begin our journey through this classic hymn offer your life to God, to be consecrated to His ways.

Father, I offer you my life.

We are not just offering our lives to God, but to His purposes. We want to find His purpose and live it. To be set apart. He is the Sovereign of our lives so we yield control to our Lord to use us according to His design. Not asking His blessing on our plans, but the blessing of living His.

Jesus, set me apart for You.

A faithful life is made up of millions of moments lived faithfully. Seems obvious, right? Yet without the awareness that all those smaller decisions contribute to a larger whole it is easy to forget their significance. Ask the Spirit to fill you with that awareness and your life with purpose.

Spirit, fill every moment of every day.

Like the drops of water that form a stream, so the moments of praise flow to make a life of unending worship. We must not simply sing songs of praise. Their words must shape the way we live every moment of every day as we pursue worship as a way of life, not just a part of life. 

Lord, help me praise You continually.

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 Are You Asking God to Use You or Leave You Alone? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Take my life and let it be – https://pixabay.com/photos/bow-box-gift-present-1867321/
Consecrated Lord to Thee – https://pixabay.com/photos/crown-gold-royal-luxury-golden-2661334/

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Finding Comfort in His Sweet Filling

Thou art comforting and saving

Cleanse and comfort bless and save me
Bathe O bathe my heart and brow
Thou art comforting and saving
Thou art sweetly filling now

Fill Me Now 1879
By: Elwood H. Stokes (1815-1897)

Listen to this modern version of this classic 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 penitent text and hymn, make each stanza your own by praying through it. Let’s think about this.

Comfort

Comfort is something we all need. We do not simply enjoy it, we need it. Whether it be pain, distress, loneliness, or some other discomfort the Spirit is the true source of any comfort we recieve.

We may receive if from a parent or a child. It may come from a friend. In some situations even a stranger can bring it.

Can you identify the area where you need comfort today? It probably was already on your mind. Ask the Spirit what it is if you are not sure, then tell the Spirit what it is. Name it either quietly or out loud. It may have been pushed deep down for some time but in these moments let it find its way to the surface.

Thou art comforting and saving

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10 ESV

The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God, and certainly including the depths of me. Knowing me that intimately allows Him to comfort me unlike any other ever could, and that follows His saving work. Invite Him to come and comfort you where you need it today.

Interestingly, the writer revisits two of the works of the Spirit from the opening line of this stanza, comforting and saving. Maybe they are the two most crucial, or the ones He needed most. Either way, they are essential. Echo that prayer from deep in your soul today.

RESONATE!
We acknowledge the comfort and saving work of the Spirit once more. This is not a one time prayer, or even an occasional one. It must become a regular one as we become familiar with the destructive habits of others and ourselves. Pray this simple prayer, “Spirit, comfort and save me.”

Filling

Thou art sweetly filling now

Of course the filling of the Holy Spirit is much sweeter than any eclair, but I want to challenge us to think about this a little differently as we close out our reflections on this hymn.

Imagine this pastry without the filling. It would still be delicious, but not as delicious. Truly the nature of it would change. Certainly our nature is different without the Spirit.

The pastry is sweeter with the filling. There is already sugar in there, but not as much. The taste would be much different. We are not as sweet without the Spirit.

It would even look very different without the filling. It is still a work of art, but not quite as much without the filling. The same is true of us. Though people can not see the filling of the Spirit they can certainly see the effects of it.

The sweet filling simply helps the eclair taste better. The sweet filling of the Holy Spirit helps us be better. Now that is some confection conviction if I ever heard any.

Thou art sweetly filling now

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…John 14:16 ESV

The Spirit comes, fills us, then stays with us forever, always ready to help us as we may need it, and oh, how we need it. He does not only come to teach us, and empower us but to help us. Thank Jesus for the sweet work of His Spirit in you every day.

How sweet is the work of the Spirit! He fills us and does so with an astounding blend of power and gentleness. Invite Him one more time here to come and fill you. Then repeat that simple prayer every day until your work on earth is done.

RESONATE!
The filling and work fo the Spirit are so sweet, yet we often fail to welcome them. Take a few moments today to do that. Pray simply, “Spirit, sweetly fill me now.“

Spirit, thank You for Your filling work and the difference it makes in my life. Teach me to ask for it regularly, making it a habit to welcome your influence. Come, o come and fill me now. In Jesus name. Amen.

Comforted Thinking!

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Podcast 29.4 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

Cleanse and comfort bless and save me

…when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy,  Titus 3:4-5a ESV

The Holy Spirit does incredible work in us. In this opening line of the last stanza that work is listed as cleansing, comforting, blessing and saving, but so many more words could be added to describe God’s goodness and kindness. Thank Him for answering this prayer even before you could pray it.

Bathe O bathe my heart and brow

by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, Titus 3:5b-6 ESV

Part of that cleansing work is the washing of regeneration and renewal the Holy Spirit does in us. Imagine that gracious pouring out that cleanses and washes us renewing our lives to fulfill God’s purpose. Ask Him to continue that work in you again today.

Thou art comforting and saving

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10 ESV

The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God, and certainly including the depths of me. Knowing me that intimately allows Him to comfort me unlike any other ever could, and that follows His saving work. Invite Him to come and comfort you where you need it today.

Thou art sweetly filling now

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…John 14:16 ESV

The Spirit comes, fills us, then stays with us forever, always ready to help us as we may need it, and oh, how we need it. He does not only come to teach us, and empower us but to help us. Thank Jesus for the sweet work of His Spirit in you every day.

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.

Cleanse and comfort bless and save me
Bathe O bathe my heart and brow
Thou art comforting and saving
Thou art sweetly filling now

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 Finding Comfort in His Sweet Filling appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attribution
Thou art comforting and saving – https://pixabay.com/photos/portrait-model-portraiture-4550039/
Thou art sweetly filling now – https://pixabay.com/photos/eclair-pastry-cake-eclairs-5052481/

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