Constraining Your Hands to the Impulses of Love

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.

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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

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.

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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/