Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in heaven along
O praise Him alleluia
Thou rising morn in praise rejoice
Ye lights of evening find a voice
O praise Him alleluia

All Creatures of Our God and King 
By: St. Francis 1225, trans. William Henry Draper 1919

Listen to this modern version of this ancient 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 ancient hymn ask the Holy Spirit to help you issue this call to worship. Be sure to find your place in the praise. Let’s think about this.

Soaring Sunrise

The sunrise breaks the darkness, ending the long night. The starry skies welcome it back. They both have a unique way to point to the praiseworthiness of God, yet often we miss them both. Do you have ears to hear the praise of the rising morn? If not, how about spending a few moments today listening to see if the rising morn has figured out a way to give Him praise?

Thou rising morn in praise rejoice

The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Psalm 50:1 ESV

Sunrise or sunset, it is hard to say with confidence, which is more inspiring: however, when those first rays of light burst forth across the dark, predawn sky an argument could certainly be made. They lift their voice as they fulfill the purpose for which they we made, dispelling darkness.         

When was the last time you witnessed a sunrise? It is a supernatural experience if you have eyes to really see it. The way the darkness is split by those first beams of light is awe-inspiring. The hope and promise of a new day and all it may bring is cause for praise.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

RESONATE!
Take a few moments to listen to the praise of the morning sun. Can you hear it? Has the burning morn pushed back the darkness. Make this your simple prayer “Spirit, dispel my darkness with Your light.      ” 

Starry Skies

Twinkle, twinkle little star, Light the darkness from afar.
Voice His praise like nothing can.
Sun or moon, or even man.
Twinkle, twinkle little star, Light the darkness from afar.

We do not have to wonder what the stars are. They were made by God, to declare the glory of God. They help illumine the darkness and make His praise glorious.

Here we are telling them to do what they were made to do. That which we could never do like they do. Seems a little humorous. but yet is exactly what God has told us  to tell them.

Ye lights of evening find a voice

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Psalm 148:3 ESV

The shining stars do more than just illuminate. They are commanded to annuciate, to find a voice and the language to give their Maker the praise that is due His matchless name. Have you found your voice? How do you offer your alleluia to the One the stars acclaim?

When was the last time you watched the sunset slowly give way to the twinkle of the starry sky? Have you ever been far enough away from ambient light so you could clearly see the unimpeded brilliance of a thousand stars? Try to get to such a place some time and worship.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and listen to the stars. Canyon hear their voice? It may take some time to identify it so be patient. Give Jesus praise by praying a simple prayer like this, “Jesus, show me Your radiance in the stars.“

Jesus, thank You for giving the rising morn and the evening lights something to praise. Thank you for allowing me to hear it. Help me to improve this discipline. In Jesus name. Amen.

Attentive Thinking!

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Image Attribution
Thou rising morn in praise rejoice – https://pixabay.com/photos/sunrise-morning-light-tomorrow-2784380/
Ye lights of evening find a voice – https://pixabay.com/photos/northern-lights-aurora-borealis-1197755/

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia alleluia
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam

All Creatures of Our God and King 
By: St. Francis 1225, trans. William Henry Draper 1919

Listen to this modern version of this ancient 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 ancient hymn ask the Holy Spirit to help you issue this call to worship. Be sure to find your place in the praise. Let’s think about this.

Golden Sun

God orders the flaming orb in the sky to praise Him! We merely echo that command, though with much less authority. We also must echo that praise, though with our own unique voice.

Thou burning sun with golden beam

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Psalm 148:3-4 ESV

When you look at the sun it is marvelous to behold as it lights our day. You can see the brightness and feel the warmth. Still, as you begin to learn a little about it you find how incredible a creation it truly is. It brings Him praise through its burning, golden beam. How will you praise Him?

Our list of things that declare the glory of God begins with the largest body in our solar system. Nothing proclaims the glory of God in our world like the sun. Often seen as an object of worship because of its brilliance, if the sun could speak it would redirect us with a bright “Worship God!”

RESONATE!
Take a few moments to think about exhorting the sun to worship. It’s offering is unique, but so is yours. Make this your simple prayer “Lord, thank You for inviting me to worship.” 

Silver Moon

Here we see the first contrast of praise. From burning, golden beam to softer, silver gleam, both expressions are genuine, and yet very different. How true that is of every one of God’s creations!

Thou silver moon with softer gleam

Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. Psalm 148:5-6 ESV

The evening counterpart with its softer gleam does its part as its silver orb lights the night sky. It is different every night, through a constant cycle, yet consistent in reflecting the light of the sun which creates its unique offering. Ours changes each night as well, but should still sound.

We swing the pendulum to the evening sky and exhort the praise of the orb that rotates around us, the moon. Looking into the night sky illuminated by a full moon is cause for wonder, but be careful that wonder is turned to the One who made the moon, not the moon itself.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and think about different these two offerings are. Have you ever compared your offering of praise to that of someone else? Don’t do it. Marvel at God’s creativity expressed in our creative offerings, then work to find yours to praise the source of it, and not the offering itself. Give Jesus praise by praying a simple prayer like this, “Spirit, help me praise the Maker of the moon.“

Jesus, thank You for showing me there are different kinds of offerings. Mine may not resemble others even remotely, but the does not invalidate it. The uniqueness may actually be part of the praise. In Jesus name. Amen.

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.

Image Attribution
Thou burning sun with golden beam – https://pixabay.com/photos/sun-planets-space-star-fire-6665077/
Thou silver moon with softer gleam – https://pixabay.com/photos/moon-full-moon-night-landscape-6814933/

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

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!

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.

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/

I am weakness full of weakness
At Thy sacred feet I bow
Blest divine eternal Spirit
Fill with pow’r and fill me 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.

Sealed

Us

• Weakness
• Full of weakness
• Bowed down

The Spirit

• Blest
• Divine
• Eternal

Our great need creates the perfect contrast to put the power of our God on display. He is so different from us and this stanza shows that very clearly. Still, our fate is intrinsically connected to His person and work.

The Spirit is the One who reveals the truth, and imparts with to us. He seals us, and guarantees our inheritance. He even empowers our praise.

A key part of that work is his sealing us. A seal on a letter had two important functions in ancient times. It verified who the sender was which is very important. It also proved that there had been no tampering with the content ensuring it remained intact from the sender.

The Spirit does this remarkable work in us. He verifies that we being to God. He also proves that there has been no tampering with us, but that we arrive at our location in the condition He intended. He has the authority to do that because of who He is.

Blest divine eternal Spirit

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV

He is blessed and blesses us by sealing us as a guarantee of our eternal inheritance from God. Give praise to the Spirit for helping you believe and then sealing your faith.

The Spirit is also eternal, and divine. He always was and always will be. He is God, plain and simple. He is also holy, without fault or blemish. These characteristics put Him in a position to bless us. Declare to the Spirit you believe His is eternal, divine and blest.

RESONATE!
Our faith does not permit God to do His work in us, but it does position us to receive that work. We need it as we have confessed in the earlier part of this stanza. Acknowledge that you believe the Holy Spirit is the One who can do that work in you and prepare yourself to receive it today.

The Sealer

If we are to be sealed then the Holy Spirit will do the sealing. If we are to be filled then he Holy Spirit will do the filling. Those these are two very different illustrations both very clearly bear the marks of the Holy Spirit.

When wax is going to be sealed on a letter it must first be melted. As it drips onto the envelope it is soft and ready to receive the pressure of the seal. The same thing happens in our spiritual lives. The heat is turned up and we are prepared to receive the indelible impression of the Spirit.

When a vessel is going to be filled it must first be emptied. As it is emptied it is ready to receive the substance that will fill it. The same thing happens in our spiritual lives. We are emptied and prepared to receive the holy habitation of the Spirit.

To be melted and emptied are certainly not pleasant experiences but what can come afterwards can prove extremely useful. Confessing we are weakness and full of weakness is similarly not a pleasant experience either, however, it does prepare us to be full of power instead. That is very useful.

When we are melted or emptied in can be a pretty terrible feeling. The melting prepares us to be shaped and sealed. The emptying prepares us to be fill. When those things happen we are filled with hope. But we must continue to learn the discipline of hoping even as we wait on the filling.

Fill with pow’r and fill me now

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13ESV

He fills us with His power and from that power ushers belief. When we believe, God brings joy, peace and hope abundantly into our lives. Without His filling none of that would be possible. Ask for that filling again today and every day until you see Him face to face.

He empowers us to reflect God with our lives and deflect glory to Him. This is miraculous when you consider we start out full of weakness and is another expression of His incredible work in us. Only with His power could that work occur.

RESONATE!
Do you feel melted or emptied? Maybe God is preparing you to receive His hope. Maybe He is readying you for something else. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit again today and the hope that flows from that filling. Pray simply, “Spirit, fill with power and fill me now”.

Spirit, thank You for revealing how weak I was, and not leaving me there. You revealed Your power to me and then made it clear how You wanted to fill me with the power. Thank You Spirit. In Jesus name. Amen.

Sealed Thinking!

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Image Attribution
Blest divine eternal Spirit – https://pixabay.com/vectors/seal-ancient-badge-wax-emblem-152801/
Fill with pow’r and fill me now – https://pixabay.com/vectors/buffer-seal-office-281337/

Thou canst fill me gracious Spirit
Though I cannot tell Thee how
But I need Thee greatly need Thee
Come O come and fill me 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.

Great Need

We come with open, empty hands.

This admission does not come easy for most of us. We have needs. It is rather difficult for most of us to readily admit we have need of assistance beyond our own capacities. In short, we are not naturally a humble bunch.

To admit that we need help, that we need some intervention can be a challenging thing to acknowledge, no matter the scenario. This is especially true at the root of our deepest need, peace with God. The Holy Spirit is the One who meets that need by revealing to us our need of a Savior and the reality that Jesus wants to be that for us.

Among all our other needs, even the most spiritual ones, this is the most crucial. We need strength to live daily for God’s glory. We need patience to deal with the difficult people in our lives. We need peace in the midst of our conflicts. But most of all we need need the Spirit of God to dwell in us marking us as those who belong to Christ.

But I need Thee greatly need Thee

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. Romans 8:9 ESV

We need the Spirit because He is the one who imparts Christ to us. It is imperative for our salvation that we have Christ and thanks be to God the Spirit makes Him ours and us His. Ask Him to help you live in the Spirit instead of the flesh, then make that choice again every day.

RESONATE!
Have you ever acknowledged this deepest of needs, your need for a Savior? If you have, rejoice that it was the Spirit in you that allowed you to do so, and that same Spirit who revealed Christ to you. If not, do so today. Pray, “Spirit, I confess my need of a Savior and pray you will make me His and He mine.” 

The Gift

God fills those open empty hands with light and love, with Himself.

When we acknowledge our need to God, whether for a Savior or for any other need which He reveals to us, He delights to fill that need. He reveals it so that He can meet it and in doing so allow us the privilege of knowing Him more. The need becomes a way for us to come to know God and His goodness to us.

If you have a need in your life today do not hesitate to bring it to God. Bring it in your open hand and give it to Him. Then wait patiently to see what He will do with it.

Allow that practice to remind you of your greatest need to routinely come to Him for filling. That filling enables you to live or abide in Him and He in you. This is the work of the Spirit. Thanks be to God!

Come O come and fill me now

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 1 John 4:13ESV

He has given us of His Spirit so we abide in Him. We must make that choice every day, the choice to live in Him as He lives in us. It seems so simple and in many ways it is, but we make it difficult. Ask the Spirit to help you make abiding in Him simpler every day.

RESONATE!
Are you abiding or living with a continual awareness of God’s presence? The Holy Spirit and He alone is the one that will help you cultivate that kind of awareness. That is precisely why it is so important to routinely pray simple prayers that acknowledge your need and ask Him to meet it. Pray, “Spirit, come, o come and fill me now.”

Jesus, thank You for the gift of your Spirit. He reveals You to me and helps me realize how much I need You. Help me to welcome His work in my life every day. In Jesus name. Amen.

Continual 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.

Image Attribution
But I need Thee greatly need Thee – https://pixabay.com/photos/hands-two-palms-light-hand-in-hand-1044882/
Come O come and fill me now – https://pixabay.com/photos/hand-bokeh-give-gift-offer-open-3889288/