Trust in Him who will not leave you,
Whatsoever years may bring,
If by earthly friends forsaken
Still more closely to Him cling.

Hold to God’s unchanging hand,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand;
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand (1906)

By: Jennie B. Wilson (1856 – 1913)

Listen to this instrumental 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 this hymn which challenges us to build on the certainty of God in uncertain days. Ever had a friend forsake you? That is painful. But take heart, God never will. Let’s think about this.

Ouch!

When someone you thought you could count on walks away, it hurts. And when someone you thought was a friend turns their back on you, it really hurts. But when it feels like every friend you have has forsaken you, it REALLY hurts!

If by earthly friends forsaken

Being abandoned or deserted is a terrible thing to experience. Not only do you have to deal with the betrayal, but then there’s isolation. Feeling very alone is awful, ask Paul.

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 2 Timothy 4:16 ESV

How Sad

Wow! How about that response from Paul. I am not certain I could muster the courage or forgiveness to let all my earthly friends off the hook with such energy! The translation adds an exclamation point.

This is a sad story Paul tells, but we have all felt the sting of a friend forsaking us at one point or another. Some were no big deal, others have been exceedingly painful. What’s your story?

RESONATE!
We need others and we must share our lives, but when those we trust most are not there when we really need them it is the worst of all disappointments. We are going to consider how God wants us to respond to Him when earthly friends forsake us, but take a moment to reflect on how you have responded to those earthly friends first. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart for any hurt that has lingered. Ask Him to allow you to extend the same forgiveness Paul offered to those who deserted him. It may not mean you even restore the relationship, but carrying unforgiveness around really only hurts you.

Ahhhh!

When we feel the sting of being forsaken by earthly friends, we have the opportunity to embrace the balm of clinging all the more closely to heavenly ones. It comes down to where we find our primary source of encouragement and support, and that should always be in God. Think about this.

In response to some disappointment in an earthly friendship, you cling all the more to God. Over time, your grip and resolve weaken, like that of an infant, and you let go. In that moment you will discover God is still holding onto you, like an attentive parent, aware of every need and ready to supply.

Clinging Still

There are times when we cling a little more to His unchanging hand because other things have failed us. But even the most determined of us loose our grip after awhile. Thankfully God never does.

Still more closely to Him cling.

You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. Deuteronomy 10:20 ESV

Oh He could let go, and that might cause you to fear, but He will not. It would be inconsistent with His character. We fear Him and serve Him, swear by His name and hold fast to Him, because He is faithful.

RESONATE!
What is causing you to cling more closely to Him today and in this season. COVID-19? Social injustice? An earthly friendship forsaken? All the defeats and disappointments in life are allowed by God to remind us that He is always there for us, and enough for every need. Tell Him again today that you are committed to cling to Him still more closely because He is the One changeless reality in life. Father, I am committed to cling to You.

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Image Attributions
Earthly Friends Forsaken - https://pixabay.com/photos/one-against-all-all-against-one-1744086/
Still More Closely - https://pixabay.com/photos/hands-holding-bond-love-people-2545754/

Time is filled with swift transition,
Naught of earth unmoved can stand,
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Hold to God’s unchanging hand,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand;
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand (1906)
By: Jennie B. Wilson (1856 – 1913)

Listen to this instrumental 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 begin our journey through this hymn which challenges us to build on the certainty of God in uncertain days. We must be careful to build on things that will last, so when the storms come, we have a sure foundation. How’s your foundation? Let’s think about this.

Intentional

Have you ever tried to build something and realized part way through that you lacked something essential? Maybe you started, and it became clear later that you were not at all sure the completed project was what you really needed. Or maybe when you finished, it was obvious you had wasted your time.

All these scenarios can be extremely disheartening. But there is a way to avoid them, at least to some extent. That requires a diligent intentionality to make sure the plan -from the beginning- is going to accomplish what is most important to you.

Build your hopes on things eternal,

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24 ESV

Jesus teaches the truth we are singing in this line. We must be careful what our foundation is. If we build on things that last, like God’s eternal word, then we are wise builders, and our lives will be strong. Seems pretty obvious right? Still, many of us struggle to build on that foundation, though it is literally within our grasp to do so.

There are so many things that get in the way of our being routinely in God’s word.

You can not build on eternal things if you do not know what they are. You can not know what they are if you are not in God’s word reading about them. You can not read God’s word if you do not open the book, or the app.

Reading them is only part of the battle, though. Once you read them, you need to ask God how to structure or build you life on them. The Holy Spirit is the best teacher, and He wants you to know God’s words so you can build your life on them.

RESONATE!
If you are not reading God’s word regularly, will you commit today to ask Him to help you plan and carve out time to do so? Just reading is not enough though. When was the last time you simply asked the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and give you understanding of God’s eternal word? Read a verse or a passage today, but first ask the Holy Spirit to bring it to life so you will know how to build on it. That exercise will give you hope.

Yet Childlike

Even when we do develop the intentional discipline of getting into God’s word and building our hopes on its truths, we must always maintain a childlike posture before Him. It can be tempting to oversimplify spiritual realities when we see a truth, build on it, and see the positive outcome. God’s ways are higher than ours and keeping a right perspective on how limited is our understanding is always healthy.

I love the picture here. We must choose to cling to our Father’s hand even when we begin to figure some things out because that humility will keep us out of trouble. It will keep us from running off into mischief. It will also limit how much we put our hands on because we are somewhat occupied simply with the thought of staying close to Him by not letting go.

Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:8 ESV

Does that image, that line, and this verse describe your relationship to God? If not, you are probably feeling the effects of that on your soul. While getting out of those messes is not easy, the first simple step is righting wherever we may be failing. Grab, hold, and cling to His unchanging hand today, whether you think you need to or not. It will uphold you when the weight of life is too much.

RESONATE!
Often our failure to cling to God can be traced to pride. We thought for a moment, or a decade, we could handle things. When we finally realized we were wrong, the humility required to reach for and hold to God can be sorely lacking. Will you receive the challenge of the song-writer and hold to God’s unchanging hand today? You may be very surprised to find He has been holding you all along.

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 Attributions
Build Your Hopes - https://pixabay.com/photos/book-bible-religion-reading-study-2617987/
God’s Unchanging Hand - https://pixabay.com/photos/hands-child-s-hand-hold-tight-1797401/

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
O praise Him alleluia
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost
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 conclude 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.

Eternal Angelic Praise

Can’t stop. Won’t stop. They never cease to praise.

They have been at it since the dawning of creation, and they will never stop eternally. They were made by God to be His messengers and they gladly serve their King. The message they convey? “Praise Him.”

Against that backdrop the writer here gives us words to speak directly to them encouraging them, even exhorting them to praise. Isn’t that something? When was the last time you reminded the angels to do their job?

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Psalm 148:1-14 ESV

Our call to worship extends not only to the creatures on earth below, but to the heavenly host above as well. We exhort the angels in heaven to praise God Most High with us, even though they have never stopped since they were created. Call the angels to worship with you.

It is amazing that we get to call to worship, even command, the heavenly host to give praise to the One they never cease to praise. Obviously, they do not need the exhortation because they never stop. It is really more of an encouragement to keep it going.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments to encourage angelic praise. Have you ever done that? Why not today. Start with this simple prayer “God, thank You for allowing us to call angels to worship. ”

The Who and Why of Worship

We conclude with a clear indication of exactly Who is the object of all this praise. We have spent the last eight weeks focusing on different parts of creation, admonishing them to praise. We conclude by leaving no doubt to whom all that worship is being directed.

Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV

We praise God for all these expressions of His creativity and the way that He moves among us providing grace, love and fellowship. Father, Son and Holy Spirit calling us to praise, inspiring our praise, and enabling our praise. O praise Him! Alleluia!!

His love made a way for us to come back to him. That provides us the fellowship we had lost. That allows us to experience the evidence of his grace. We can find no better reason to praise Him than these. Offer Him the Alleluia’s He deserves today. Do not be left out of the praise.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider the worthiness of God. Are you committed to give Him the praise He is due? Make this your simple prayer and song of praise, “Lord, I praise you.“

God, thank You for allowing me to exhort the angels to praise. Help me to be quick to join their praise as well. In Jesus name. Amen.

Exalted Thinking!

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Image Attribution
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts - https://www.tabernacleofdavid.org.au/worship-matters/288-throne-room-worship.html
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost - https://pixabay.com/photos/dove-cross-hands-fire-god-trinity-5450109/

Let all things their Creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
O praise Him alleluia
Praise praise the Father praise the Son
And praise the Spirit Three in One
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.

Father, Son…

Giving glory to the Father and the Son is fitting. They have given us so much more than we can begin to understand. This entire hymn has called so many parts of creation to worship, each of them an incredible gift from the Father.

Each of them gifts we would not be able to even thank Him for if it were not for the work of His Son to make Him known to us. We could not thank Him if we did not know Him. We could not know Him without Christ’s work reconciling us to the Father.

So often we hear people say how thankful they are, yet gratitude seems odd without a recipient. After all, what word seems to fit most naturally after “Thank”? Is it not “you”. Without an object of the thanks, the gratitude seems a bit empty. Thankfully, we know Who to thank.

Praise praise the Father praise the Son

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, Ephesians 1:3 ESV

The Father not only made us but then blesses us with every blessing, many of which we can not even really fathom. They are made available to us through His Son. We praise them for the ones of which we are aware and so many more of which we are not.

And just who is the recipient of all this praise? First of all, God the Father, our Maker. He made us to praise, yet we went our own way. Second, God the Son, who made the way for us to come back to the Father. Jesus reconciles us and reveals the Father to us.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments to determine level of gratitude. Do you regularly find yourself giving thanks to God fo all He has done? Start with this your simple prayer “Jesus, thank You for making a way back to God.”

AND Holy Spirit

Praising the Holy Spirit is simply not as common. A quick survey of our songs of worship, both old and new will reveal this. We praise the Father, and even more commonly the Son, but the comparatively the Spirit does not receive much praise.

This is especially odd when you consider the three different persons of the Trinity are just that, each one of the three. Pair that with the work the Holy Spirit does to teach us how to live and it becomes even stranger. The Holy Spirit is worthy of worship just like the Father and Son.

And praise the Spirit Three in One

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-15

The Spirit is the one who guides us into all truth, bringing us to the place where we become aware of the blessings of God and develop the desire to give Him praise. The Trinity, creating us, revealing it, and empowering our praise. Hallelujah!

Third, the Holy Spirit does the work of bringing us to the end of ourselves so that we can see our need of a Savior. When He shows us Jesus is that Savior it fuels our praise. All three members of the Trinity doing their part to invite into and enabling our praise.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments and consider the person of the Holy Spirit. Do you routinely give Him praise? Give praise to Him and the other members of the Trinity by praying a simple prayer like this, “O Three in One, enable my praise.“

Spirit, thank You for informing my praise. I could not offer it to you, the Father or the Son, unless you enable me. Help me to yield to your instruction every day. In Jesus name. Amen.

Trinitarian Thinking!

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Image Attribution
Praise praise the Father praise the Son - https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-church-christianity-faith-2232024/
And praise the Spirit Three in One - https://pixabay.com/photos/dove-cross-hands-fire-god-trinity-5450109/

Death once the ancient enemy
Hear now our Easter melody
O praise Him alleluia
You are the pathway home to God
Our door to life through Christ our Lord
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.

When the End is a Start

So often we look at death as being the end of life. For those in Christ, nothing could be further from the truth. It actually is a glorious beginning to a quality of life we can barely even begin to imagine.

Death is a result of sin. It was true in the garden and it still is. We can not escape death, but we can overcome the consequences of it, and accordingly not only have no reason to fear, but rather hold embrace it gladly for the pathway it creates for us.

Think of walking down a path late in the day. You can only see so far through the woods, around the bend, but your guide assures you all is well. You come to a point where through the fading light and mist you really can not see where the path leads. An ominous feeling comes over you. Though you are not afraid of the dark, you believe you have lost your way. Your guide seems unbothered.

Suddenly, the wind rustles through the leaves and the mist clears just enough for you to see a distant light glimmering through the trees. You sense that safety and rest is just a little further, and though you have no memory of this path you trust your guide. A way through the unknown darkness has emerged, which he knew all along, and you are glad to take it toward the light.

You are the pathway home to God

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 ESV

God offers us eternal life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we yield to Him as Lord, death is transformed into a pathway home instead of a final destination. This is a remarkably different perspective on death, one which we are able to understand and enjoy only because of Jesus.

For those who do not know Jesus death remains their enemy. He marks the end of life. For us he has a very different role. Death becomes our pathway home to God. For the believer, it is simply the next part of the rest of our journey, not the end of it.

RESONATE!
Take a few moments to determine your confidence in your guide. Make certain you are following Jesus. Make this your simple prayer “Spirit, guide me to that pathway.”

When a Grave is a Door

A grave seems like such a place of finality. The body is laid in its final resting place. Covered with soil it is left to decay.

But imagine the horizontal, rectangular opening of the grave is instead vertical. As opposed to thinking of your lifeless body being placed in it, imagine your eternal soul walking right through it. Instead of a destination, it becomes a doorway.

That is exactly what Jesus accomplished.

What if God allowed Jesus’ grave to have a doorway so that it would be easier for us to imagine ours as one as well? All that is required for us to see the grave as a door is faith in Jesus and His finished work of overcoming death with His resurrection. Do you believe?

Our door to life through Christ our Lord

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 ESV

Here Jesus shows that death becomes a door to life through him. Even though we die, we shall live. Above all the other reasons to give praise to God, this one certainly stands at the top for if all the others were true and this one were not our praise would be limited. Instead, it is eternal.

For those who do not know Christ, death appears to be a door that is closed. For the believer, death is a doorway to life. A door versus a doorway. They seem so close, but could not be further apart, not only in concept, but in reality. This stanza helps us to reconcile our enmity with death.

RESONATE!

Take a few moments and consider the door of the grave. Can you see it as such? Give Jesus praise by praying a simple prayer like this, “Jesus, thank you for making death a doorway.“

Jesus, thank You for transforming my perspective of death. Looking at death differently helps me to live differently. Help me encourage death to praise you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Transitional Thinking!

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Image Attribution
You are the pathway home to God - https://pixabay.com/photos/beyond-death-faith-heaven-god-2753554/
Our door to life through Christ our Lord - https://pixabay.com/photos/oasis-desert-door-jesus-open-2335767/