Do You Know the Path of Hope and Joy?

O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee (Early 12th Century)
By: Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153)

Listen to this version with a single solo voice as you prepare to ponder this hymn. 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.

We continue our journey through this ancient hymn, originally written in Latin, but still true today. There truly is no name like Jesus, no matter the century. He is our source of hope and joy. Let’s tune our hearts.

Highs and Lows Meet

We have all found ourselves at low places at times. Something has broken us and left us on our knees before the Most High God. Often, those things have taken us by surprise along the journey of life.

Can you relate? Maybe you are in one of those difficult times today, and are very mindful that you have arrived there as a result of your own choices. Do not fight that guilt or the brokenness it brings: embrace it, for there is a blessing on the other side of doing so, even hope through the process.

O hope of every contrite heart,

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” Isaiah 57:15 ESV

Here God declares not only that He dwells on high, but also with anyone who is of a contrite and lowly spirit. The Presence of the Most High is promised to the low in spirit, and from it springs revival. Do you feel like you are almost gone, your hope ebbing away? You are in a perfect place to encounter the Holy One. Bring your broken heart, and ask Him to be your hope again today.

For all those willing to accept and acknowledge their guilt before God, Jesus has promised to be their hope. There is nothing more that needs to be accomplished, simply accepted. This is the hope Jesus has made available to all who confess their need of Him. He will meet you in that low place and lift you into His loving, refreshing embrace.

RESONATE!
Is there anything you need to confess to God today? Something you have done or left undone that has left you feeling guilty before the High and Holy One? You can find that relationship restored and your hope revived right now. Allow your brokenness to bridge the divide your soul feels and rest once again in the kindness of our God.

Submitting to God Involves Waiting on Him

Ever feel like the young man on the edge of the terminal? You are waiting for your train to come. You have submitted yourself to the schedule upon which it runs and now must simply wait.

It is difficult to submit our will to something or someone beyond our control. It is especially difficult to do that quietly and gently. But when the one we are submitting to is the Holy One, it can be much easier, partly because of who He is, and partly because of what He promises as the result of our meekness.

O joy of all the meek,

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:19 ESV

To be meek is to be submissive. Jesus is the joy of every soul that has submitted its will to God. We realize the joy He brings as we yield in an ongoing way all along our journey with Him, not simply that initial surrender at the beginning. Is your joy increasing as you walk with Jesus? It should be, and it can. Ask the Spirit for help.

Could you use some fresh joy today? Then simply confess your willingness to gently, quietly submit to God’s will and obtain it. He has promised, and He will do it. Seek and show your elation in the Holy One right now.

Spirit, help me continually surrender my soul to my Lord.

RESONATE!
Is there some area where you are and maybe have been struggling to submit to God’s will? Maybe you have even gotten on the wrong train in the hopes of getting to your desired destination sooner, only to later realize it was the wrong way to get to the wrong place. Tell God again today you will surrender to His ways and timing, and find a fresh joy for the journey that remains.

Jesus, thank You for the promise of Your presence and fresh joy if I will simply surrender to Your purposes and ways. Help me to look to You every day and submit to You. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Hopeful 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 21.2 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 hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

For all those willing to accept and acknowledge their guilt before God, Jesus will be their hope. There is nothing more that needs to be accomplished, simply accepted. This is the hope Jesus has made available to all who confess their need of Him. Thank Him.

Jesus, thank You for the hope I have in You.

To be meek is to be submissive. Jesus is the joy of every soul that has submitted its will to God. We realize the joy He brings as we yield in an ongoing way, not simply that initial surrender. Is your joy increasing as you walk with Jesus? It should be. Ask the Spirit for help.

Spirit, help me continually surrender my soul to my Lord.

We have each experienced the kindness of Jesus, but we become acutely aware of just how kind He is when we fall, and we all do. We tend to be hard on ourselves, but Jesus is ever kind. Give Him praise for His endless kindness to you, especially when you do not deserve it.

Jesus, thank You for Your kindness when I have fallen.

Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, none of us would ever seek after Jesus, yet He helps us, and when He does, we find out just how good Jesus is, especially set against the reality of how bad we are. Thank the Father for giving you the ability to seek Jesus.

God, thank you for enabling me to seek Jesus.

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 Do You Know the Path of Hope and Joy? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
O Hope of Every Contrite Heart – https://pixabay.com/photos/underground-god-hope-urban-destiny-885206/
O Joy of All the Meek – https://pixabay.com/photos/stand-by-train-railway-suetsid-1848973/