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.
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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
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.
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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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