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What Does Hope Sound Like?

Trump of the Angel

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

It Is Well with My Soul (1873)

By: Horatio G. Spafford, (1828-1888)

Listen to this beautiful version as you prepare to ponder this hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Here is podcast content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, and occasionally to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library? Click here.  Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library.  We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

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

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

We continue our journey through one of the most beloved of all hymns, with one of the most poignant, yet inspiring, stories. If you do not know the story, you may watch more about it here. Jesus is our blessed hope and we find rest for our souls in Him and His promised return. Let’s think about this.

Are You Listening?

We all long for wellness of soul. Jesus has promised it to us. So why does it seem so elusive?

Maybe we just need to listen better.

Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!

…we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51b-52 ESV

We are longing for that change, but the transformation we are longing for actually began the moment we surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ. Sure, we are longing for the completion of the process, but we must also submit ourselves to it today. Part of that transformation occurs when we begin to tune our ears to listen for the sounding of the final trumpet and the voice of the Lord.

That singular focus keeps us from becoming discouraged when the events in our lives would seek to do so. How? Because it acknowledges we are longing for more, something beyond this earthly plane. 

What are you listening for? The timer on the microwave? The notification of a text message? The phone to ring for a job offer? The voice of someone long gone? The blast of the angelic trumpet? The voice of the Lord?

Those last two will mark the second most incredible moment in all of history, with the resurrection of Jesus Christ being the first. His return and the promised final transformation of all those who are in Christ. Are those what you are listening for?

 

RESONATE!
Do not overcomplicate it. Just ask Jesus to train your ears to listen for that trumpet blast and His voice. Then quiet yourself and let Him begin to tune your soul to resonate with that one passion. It will bring rest to your soul.

Voice of the Lord

How Does Hope and Rest Sound?

You may think it is very quiet, but it may not be.

I began to learn years ago that peace is not the absence of conflict, peace is the presence of God. There may be chaos swirling around you, but you can still find peace. How? By learning to acknowledge the presence of God is every situation. I am still learning this incredible lesson, but I am so thankful for the journey that pursuit has taken me on.

When you look at this image what word comes to mind? Power? Majesty? Glory? ______? I wonder if it was peace?

See, when we cultivate the ability to hear God’s voice in the midst of the noise, now and forever, we are cultivating the very awareness that makes our souls well. When things are going poorly, He is our hope. When we just can not seem to find peace, He is our rest.

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13 ESV

Hope is the belief that you will receive something you do not yet possess. Rest is the calm that you will practice when you are trusting Jesus. But let’s be honest, nobody likes waiting, especially if your circumstance is painful and troubling. But we are waiting for something that is going to change the world as we know it, into the world for which we are longing.

RESONATE!
Maybe you need to learn to hope in Jesus in darkness. Maybe you need to learn to rest in Jesus in chaos. Thank Jesus for the rest His voice brings to your soul, and then ask Him to help you hope in His return.

Jesus, I long to hear the final trumpet and Your voice signaling Your return. Train my ears to listen for it and my mind to focus on it. May the increase of that desire cultivate a deeper hope and rest in my soul as it overshadows all others.  Amen.

Blessed 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 18.4 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.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42 ESV

We often fail to live with an eternal perspective. That failure forces us to fixate on today, and often disrupts the wellness of soul that a broader, balanced view can bring. Ask the Spirit to reveal if you are awake and awaiting our Lord’s return, or if instead you may be dozing off a bit.

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 ESV

I was driving home yesterday and, at one point, found myself fighting off some fatigue. I pressed on because I had a destination in mind. That thought helped me persevere. We are journeying toward a much better goal than an end to a journey. Pray Jesus helps you hear His upward call.

Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!

…we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51b-52 ESV

We cannot fathom how remarkable that moment will be when we finally see Jesus! A longing for that cultivates a deeper, calmer soul than anything else. Are you longing to hear the trumpet and the Lord’s voice? Ask Him to help you long for those things today.

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13 ESV

Nobody likes waiting. But what we are waiting for is worth more than anything else. Even the waiting for it makes us the most blessed people to have ever lived, along with all the saints. Thank God for the hope and the rest our waiting for Jesus’ appearing gives us. 

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.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

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 Hope Sound Like? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Trump of the Angel – https://pixabay.com/photos/dresden-city-germany-angel-statue-63640/
Voice of the Lord – https://pixabay.com/photos/lightning-storm-weather-sky-3652193/

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While We Wait to Return to Normal

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

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

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

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined Being Well and Staying Well. This week we will investigate how to be strong and courageous While You Wait to Return to Normal.  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 27: 14 Amplified 

Wait for and confidently expect the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

God, the Promise Keeper pledges to us that we can wait confidently and with courage for Him to strengthen us while we move toward normal.

PSALM: It Is Well with My Soul (1873) By: Horatio G. Spafford, (1828-1888)

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

The song writer begins the stanza with an objection, he states, “BUT Lord, tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait. In his recovery from the warfare of grief and calamity Spafford encouraged himself with God’s Word. He clung to the promise of blessed hope and rest of his soul on earth and ultimately in eternity as he walked through his grief process.

PARABLE: Grief is quick to come, but slow to leave. We can’t rush suffering. If we could, I would sprint like Jesse Owens to the recovery finish line. During the month of May, ten days apart, I experienced the death of my father-in-love and my uncle (his brother) to COVID-19. The monstrous roller coaster of the illness, circumstances of the death, and the conclusion of the ride hijacked my emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Not everyone experienced COVID-19 as I did but everyone experienced COVID-19.

As we discussed two weeks ago, loss and grief is something everyone will experience. No matter what type of loss you are experiencing (job loss, break up or divorce, loss of loved ones, loss of normalcy due to COVID-19, or a terminal diagnoses), there is no short cut, We have to experience the process.

While you Wait to recover from the silent war of COVID-19 and return to normal you will experience one, some, or all of the stages of grief in any order. 

The stages of grief are:

  • Denial (a coping mechanism)
  • Anger (a masking effect)
  • Bargaining (a way to postpone sadness, confusion or hurt)
  • Depression (overwhelmingly feeling foggy, heavy, and confused)
  • Acceptance (understanding loss is a part of life and examining what it means to your life now)

My temporary roller coaster can travel the track of any of these on a given day. Yet I know that there is no suffering or situation greater than the PROMISED hope and rest of my soul found in the arms of Jesus. Suffering is a part of our journey, it is the medicine that cures us from walking on our own. It is the weight too powerful to lift that drives us to scream, pray, and/or worship while we wait for the warfare of sorrow to terminate in the powerful and peaceful Presence of God.  

COVID-19 is a national trauma that the world will need to grieve. As some of the world sprints back to normal and other parts of the world jogs the marathon of the normal recovery race from COVID-19, we will approach the recovery of the grief of sorrow differently. Some of us have already returned to gatherings without our masks, our hugging and hand shaking, and traveling for summer vacations. Others are still wearning masks, avoiding crowds, and carrying hand sanitizer like a treasured jewel. While some are cautiously testing the normal waters with masks sometimes, 6′ feet social distancing, and some small gatherings. No matter how you are recovering from the trauma of COVID-19, while you wait, you can wait courageously, confidently,  and in expectation that God will deliver us from this pandemic plague and any other loss we have experienced.

PONDER and WANDER:  In my last Wandering we examined the losses and unresolved grief within our life. If you choose, Ponder the question: What stage of grief am I currently most experiencing as a result of the losses of COVID-19 or any other loss in my life?

The soul training WELL exercise can assist us in examining our loss and strengthening our hearts as we wait for the grief process to end.

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, complete the W.E.L.L. exercise.

  • When you are ready, clear your mind and invite the Holy Spirit to help you Wait courageously, confidently, and expentantly as you ask God to identify which stage of grief you are currently most experiencing as a result of COVID-19.
  • Next,  Invoke the assistance of God to strengthen your heart. Ask speficially for strength regarding in the stage you are experiencing .
  • Then, Listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
  • Finally, Lay down your burden and receive the strength of Jesus.

PRAYER: Jesus, help me to wait in courage, and confidently expect you to strengthen my heart. The silent war of COVID-19 has faught us in ways we are unaware. While we wait to return to a normal let our response be to pray, worship, and seek you during this recovery process. In the healing name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

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

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

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post While you Wait appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions:
Stages of grief: Google images
Wait on the Lord: Google Images

BONUS REFLECTION: Rest and resolution don’t always come easy. You may experience more rain, while you wait. If you choose, listen to this song and be reminded that God is never late so praise Him while you wait.

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What’s Your Goal?

The Sky

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

It Is Well with My Soul (1873)

By: Horatio G. Spafford, (1828-1888)

Listen to this beautiful version as you prepare to ponder this hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Everyone, enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

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

We continue our journey through one of the most beloved of all hymns, with one of the most poignant, yet inspiring, stories. If you do not know the story, you may watch more about it here. Wellness of soul is for today and eternity. Let’s tune our hearts.

The Sky

I was throwing the frisbee with my youngest son a while back, and he was struggling to get the disc to go where he wanted. I worked with him on the way he was holding the disc, his release and follow through, and while he made great improvements in the flight, the destination remained elusive. I stood a bit and watched him throw a few, and that’s when it hit me…

He wasn’t looking at his target.

He kept looking at the frisbee, checking his grip and the other things we were working on. While those were all important, until he learned to fix his eyes on his goal, he intermittently struggled to get it there.

What is your goal? Where are your eyes fixed? The sky? Ever wonder where your journey will end? When you finish climbing the ladder, will it only be to realize it was leaning on the wrong building? What are you aiming your life toward?

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

Waiting is never easy, but when what you are waiting for seems far off, it can be even harder. Then there is the reality that you may begin to wonder what difference your daily choices make in the final outcome of your life. The grind of life can leave you feeling tired and weary and may tempt you to take a day, or a week, or more off, but we must stay alert.

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42 ESV

So are you are awake and awaiting our Lord’s return, or dozing off a bit? Jesus warned us to stay alert by keeping His return ever in our hearts and minds. Failing to do so leaves us focusing on today, and loosing a larger eternal perspective which effects our ability to develop and cultivate wellness of soul.

RESONATE!
What are you waiting for? It is a line that often precedes a call to action, and the same is true in this instance. We are waiting for Jesus’ coming, and the implied call to action is to wait in such a way as to cultivate wellness of soul and compel others to join us. Are you living that way? Are there changes you need to make? Ask the Holy Spirit to first reveal what you are waiting for, then make any necessary adjustments to make your soul ready for Jesus’ return.

 

The Grave

Not the Grave

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

If we are waiting for Jesus’ return, then we will have our eyes on the clouds, not our tombstones. We will be living for a higher purpose, not a lower one, like six feet under the surface of the ground. This purpose gives us a resolve to push through difficult circumstances and keep our chins up because that helps us keep our eyes up as well.

Even if Jesus does not return before the end of our lives, we will be able to die and truly rest in peace [R.I.P] because we will have lived in peace. We are able to cultivate and maintain well souls when we have a bigger perspective on the things we face in this life. When the sky is our goal, not our grave, we can press on, even beyond it.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 ESV

I love how that verse implies movement. Upward. The grave will not be our final destination. Downward. Ours will be heavenward, to the prize Jesus has made available to all who believe.

And we will be successful as we fix our eyes there, just as my son was when he fixed his eyes on his target. Your joy will be even greater than his though he continually improved. Your Father will be even more pleased than this one was.

RESONATE!

If we are going to die well, we must be committed to living well. We can live well when our souls are well. Our souls can be well when they are guided by the goal of the sky, not the grave. Is your souls well today? If Jesus were to return today would you be ready? Is there anything you know He has called you to do, which you have left undone? That effects your wellness. Resolve today press on toward your goal, and do all the things He has called you upward to do.

Jesus, thank You for calling me upward. Continue to transform my gaze and my trajectory so my entire life and living is pressing on toward the sky. Help we wait well and active. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Directed 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 18.4 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.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

What are you waiting for? It is a line that often precedes a call to action, and the same is true in this instance. We are waiting for Jesus’ coming and the implied call to action is to wait in such a way as to compel others to join us. Are you living that way? Are there changes you need to make?

Show me what changes I need to make.

We are not trying to live with wellness of soul only so we can die well. We have been called upward in Christ which has implications for living and dying, but ultimately hope beyond the grave. Where are yours eyes fixed? On living or dying, or beyond. Ask the Spirit to instruct your gaze.

Spirit, teach me to see beyond living and dying. 

We are to have eyes fixed, and also ears tuned. What are you listening for? Amidst the quiet and the noise what are you longing to hear? What are you preoccupied with? Hearing the trumpet blast, God’s voice, or something else? Ask Jesus to train your ears to listen for Him.

Jesus, train my ears to listen for you. 

It is our ability to hear His voice now, and eventually at His return, that makes our souls well. He is our hope, and in Him, we have rest for our souls. Thank Jesus for the rest you have in Him now, and the hope that ushers into your soul today, and for eternity.

Thank You Jesus for the rest Your voice brings to my 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

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

 

 

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 What’s Your Goal? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
The Sky – https://pixabay.com/photos/sky-clouds-sunlight-dark-690293/
The Grave – https://pixabay.com/photos/grave-cemetery-rip-tombstone-d-2036220/

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Sin? Don’t Bear It!

Nailed to the Cross

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

It Is Well with My Soul (1873)

By: Horatio G. Spafford, (1828-1888)

Listen to this beautiful version as you prepare to ponder this hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Here is podcast content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, and occasionally to everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library? Click here.  Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library.  We have lots of tools and options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

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

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

We continue our journey through one of the most beloved of all hymns, with one of the most poignant, yet inspiring, stories. If you do not know the story, you may watch more about it here. Jesus Christ has made wellness of soul available by becoming sin for us on the cross. Let’s think about this.

You Don’t have to Carry That Anymore

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

We sing a line like this, and I often wonder how many of us really believe it. Having served as a worship leader for years, I have even stopped a song or gone instrumental for a time to encourage people to allow such powerful truth to find its way past our ears and into our hearts. This changes everything.

Bear It No More
  • That load of guilt you continue to carry for something you did years ago, or something you left undone last week. You don’t have to carry that anymore.
  • That weight of sin you continue to lug around because you think you need to somehow make amends to God.  You don’t have to carry that anymore.
  • That burden of disappointment stemming from letting God down by not following through with some commitment. You don’t have to carry that anymore.

And you…God made alive together with him…by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 ESV

Don’t misunderstand me. Someone has to carry it, but fortunately for us, we don’t have to because Jesus did. Hallelujah! Sorry, I could not help myself.  We will get to the praise shortly, but first…

Is there something you have been carrying around with you? This is not normally one of those deep introspective moments. Most of us are aware of these things because we can sometimes not get them off our minds. Will you bring that care to Jesus and let Him carry it for you?

RESONATE!
Every sin we have ever committed in word, thought, and deed, the entire terrible record is nailed to the cross which satisfies the legal demands of the law. Some of them we simply struggle to let Him bear. Struggle no more. There is nothing He does not already know, and nothing He has not already borne for you. That is not the issue. The issue is simply believing He has done it. Name it right now, and then agree with the hymn writer. “_________” is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. 

Free to Praise

Soul, Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Truly it is the only appropriate response for what Jesus did for us, yet still our fickle soul must be reminded at times. Our heart, mind, and strength echo these words of the Psalmist from Psalm 146:1. Instruct your soul to praise the name of Your Redeemer today and every day.

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Psalm 86:5 ESV

We instruct our soul to give Him praise because He is worthy. He is worthy because He is good and forgiving to all who call on Him. Call on Him today. What are you waiting for?

RESONATE!
Thank Him for bearing your sin. Bless Him for His selfless sacrifice. Call on Him to deliver you from yourself. Praise Him for forgiveness. Start with the words from Psalm 86:5 above, and then let the Holy Spirit give words to your heart-cry to God.

Jesus, thank You for bearing my sin, all of it, every last one: past, present and future. You are so worthy of my praise. Stir my heart to feel. Provoke my soul to sense it. Quicken my mind to understand it. Empower my strength to respond to it.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Praise-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 18.3 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.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:7-8 ESV

It is a glorious thought indeed that we can walk in the light and have fellowship with God, all because the blood of Jesus cleanses us. Bliss is great joy and that aptly describes what we have in Christ. Think on that thought for a moment. 

My sin, not in part but the whole,

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 ESV

We are forgiven of all sin and cleansed from all unrighteousness. We believe this but I am not sure we allow that to really sink into the depths of our hearts. Take a few moments now and just let it find a place of rest in you.


Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

And you…God made alive together with him…by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 ESV

The debt is cancelled. You bear it no more because Jesus bore it all to the cross and nailed it there for you. Give Him thanks for making you alive and free of the laws demands. He is worthy of praise. Prepare your heart to offer it.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Psalm 86:5 ESV

We instruct our soul to give Him praise because He is worthy. He is worthy because He is good and forgiving to all who call on Him. Call on Him today, and may praise of His matchless name mark the first part of it. 

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.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

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 Sin? Don’t Bear It! appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Nailed to the Cross – https://pixabay.com/photos/cross-nail-christ-jesus-faith-1375765/
Bear It No More – https://pixabay.com/photos/boxes-cardboard-carrying-overload-2624231/
Free to Praise – https://pixabay.com/photos/hand-hands-freedom-worship-man-4661763/

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Once It Is Nailed, Will We Leave it There?

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

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

 

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

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering, we considered Being Well and Staying Well. This week we will think about Once It’s Nailed, Will We Leave it There? 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: 2 Corinthians 5:21  (ESV)

Nailed

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Did you catch why God did this? For our sake. This is a remarkable truth. Jesus became sin for our sake, to make our souls well. So that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. There is nothing stopping you, except maybe yourself.

PSALM: It Is Well with My Soul (1873)
By: Horatio G. Spafford, (1828-1888)

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Spafford quotes Psalm 146:1 in the last line of this stanza.  There is much that causes us to admonish our soul to praise the Lord, but this truth must be near the top of the list. Christ bore our sin to the cross and we can leave it there so it no longer plagues us. Praise the Lord!

Hammer

PARABLE:  In your hand you hold a hammer. Though it may pain you to think about it, you are part of the reason Jesus is nailed to that tree. Did you drive those nails in that pierced His hand and feet? No, of course not.  You were not there. But was Jesus being nailed there, becoming sin for us, partly your responsibility? Absolutely. To accept your need of a Savior means coming to an understanding that He was willing to go to the cross to pay the penalty for your sins. Standing here on this side of salvation that is plain to see.

But I wonder, is the hammer still in your hand? The nailing part is complete. But are there times when you need the other side of the hammer? Times when if you were honest with yourself you are willing to admit you twist the hammer around to the rounded claw part and pull out some of the nails holding your sins in place? We would all have to admit that if our sins are nailed to the tree, we must be guilty of prying them loose at times, otherwise there is little explanation for why they still seem active in our lives.

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the question: Are there sins I am inclined to pry free from the cross?

So how do we break free from this pattern of nailed and prying? Can it even be done? Good news. Yes it can, but it will require a desperate dependence on the Holy Spirit to maintain the wellness of soul available when our sin is nailed to that tree. 

Don’t pry

Soul care training exercise: If you choose, complete the Leave It Nailed exercise.

  • When you are ready, clear your mind and invite the Holy Spirit to help you Discern any patterns that would reveal a sin you are inclined to pry off the cross. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring even subtle, subconscious things to mind.
  • Next, Acknowledge the bent and rounded off nail heads markings those sins in your life
  • Then, Confess the patterns of sin that may be marring your righteousness.
  • Finally, Surrender those sins to Jesus. He has already paid for them. Nail them to the cross one last time and ask Him for the ability to live them there, even when they catch you eye in the future. 

PRAYER: Jesus, You became sin for me and I want to die to those sins that were nailed to the cross with You, all of them. Help me to walk in righteousness continually transformed to be more like You. In the healing name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

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

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

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Once It Is Nailed, Will We Leave it There? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions:
Nailed – https://pixabay.com/photos/cross-nail-symbol-wood-old-woods-3080144/
Hammer – https://pixabay.com/photos/hammer-white-tool-equipment-repair-451987/
Hammer and Nails – https://pixabay.com/photos/hammer-nails-wood-board-tool-work-1629587/

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