Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Holy, Holy, Holy
By: Reginald Heber 1783–1826

Listen to this simple piano version as you read. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Everyone enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We continue our journey through another great hymn this week.  In the first half of this stanza, we consider the worship happening around the throne eternally, including right now. That current activity by those in God’s presence should inform how we live our lives today.  Let’s tune our hearts.

All the Saints

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,

John’s vision as recorded in the book of Revelation gives us this incredible image of the saints on high adoring God.  Can you imagine what that must have looked like? It must have been so overwhelming to try to explain what he saw using words and concepts that an earthly mind can comprehend when it must have truly been incomprehensible.

And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered…standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. Revelation 15:2 ESV

Sea of glass, mingled with fire. Water and flames somehow coming together.  This powerful imagery of opposites coming together forces our minds to go places beyond the normal.  And that is exactly what a glimpse into the dwelling place of God would be.   Beyond normal.

It is in this very unusual setting that we read “those who had conquered…with harps of God in their hands.”  The saints referenced here are all those who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb.  Though I believe we will engage in other pursuits, it seems clear here that we will indeed play harps of God around the glassy sea.

I think it is interesting that it does not say some of them had harps, simply that those who conquered…had.  So what do you think that will be like?  What do you think that will sound like?  Those who have conquered offering their praise to God collectively, all while standing around this sea of glass mingled with fire.

So what are the implications for us?  What does that have to do with us?  What difference does it make?  I have often contended that if praise is going to be at least a part of our eternal occupation, we should get prepared as much as we can before we get there.

The reality is God will give us what we need to praise Him in those days, but I also believe He does the same now and that there really is no good reason to wait.  If you have saving faith in Jesus Christ, then you are a saint.  How will you echo the conquerors’ eternal praise in your life today?    Think about it.  Commit to it.  Do it!

Laying Down Our Honors

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

Revelation again is greatly symbolic.  With that said, our hymn writer here takes liberty and refers to saints casting down their crowns.  While Scripture refers to them as “elders,” the hymns takes a more poetic approach by calling those who will cast their crowns saints.  Those who cast their crowns are in a sense a specific group, and yet at the same time may very well be representative of a larger one.

The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne…Revelation 4:10 ESV

These twenty-four seem to be clearly human figures, all believers in God, possibly representing the church including its leaders, and certainly indicates they are somehow worthy of the honor of wearing crowns, which is not even said of the angels.  What an incredible thought!  We will get to fall down before the throne and worship Him.  

One fascinating aspect of this to me is the fact that even though these elders are given the honor of wearing a crown in the presence of the King of Kings, they willingly, and I would even say gladly, lay them down before His throne.  The use of the word cast, in both the Scripture and the hymn, seems to imply something.   Cast means to throw forcibly in a specific direction.  The emotion and intention of that is striking to me, and I would even say instructive.

If these elders are indeed believers, then we will possibly be counted amongst their number.  How can we learn from them?  What honors have you received that you are most proud of?  Would you be willing to cast them down at the feet of Jesus if doing so would bring Him greater honor than keeping them?

So, let’s practice that.  You may not have a crown, but each of us has things we have been honored to receive.  Think of a thing or two.  Now consider if you would be willing to lay them down, casting them before the throne, or would you be inclined to keep them as a badge of honor?  Seems pretty simple.  But what if laying them down today, not before His throne but somewhere else, would give honor to Jesus.  Careful before you answer.  You may have that opportunity today.

Jesus, thank You for giving me saving faith so that I may be among the conquerors.  I look froward to giving You praise around that glassy sea, and casting my crown at Your feet.  But until then, help me, even today, to use my life and the honors I have received to bring glory to Your name.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Worshipful 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.

Like what you’re finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

Video 14.2 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.

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

As the imagery of the worship around God’s throne continues to develop, we declare the reality that all the saints, from every tribe and tongue and nation, will give praise to the Lamb for the salvation He has made available through His blood.  Join their adoration right now.

Revelation 4 tells us that the twenty-four elders fall down before Him and cast their crowns before the throne.  Can you imagine what those moments will be like? All creation lining up to give glory to our God, and these crown-wearers throwing theirs down.  Humble yourself today.

From Genesis, through Isaiah and Ezekiel, all the way to Revelation, we read of these angelic creatures, ever the messengers of God.  We should follow their lead and fall down before God. Have you ever laid face down before our King? Will you do so today?

Here we pick up again the refrain of the four living creatures, attributed in the hymn to the cherubim and seraphim.  His eternal quality alone sets Him apart from everything else in all creation, which will rise up together one day to give Him alone all honor and glory. Worship God!

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 How to Use Today to Get Ready for Eternity appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Fire Water – https://bfksolutions.com/fire-and-water-acetone/
Harps of God – https://pixabay.com/vectors/lyre-lira-musical-instrument-29474/
Glassy Sea – https://www.endtime-insights.org/2019/09/the-sea-of-glass.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+endtime-insights%2FjDAn+%28Endtime+Insights%29

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, Holy, Holy
By: Reginald Heber 1783–1826

Listen to this simple piano version as you read. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Everyone enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We begin our journey through another great hymn this week.  In the first half of this stanza, we remind ourselves of Who God is and commit to come early and often to give Him praise . Let’s tune our hearts.

Holy God

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

Holiness.

This entire hymn, one of the most well-known of all time, focuses almost exclusively on this transcendent quality of God with each stanza turning the prism as it were to reflect a little different perspective on this other-worldly character.

Holiness is one of the most difficult attributes of God for us to comprehend.  Why?  Because it is so different from us.

This is very clear in Isaiah 6 where the prophet describes the throne room of God, and then goes on to offer his response.  “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”  Isaiah 6:5  When confronted with the holiness of God, Isaiah realized he was lost or undone.

Holiness indicates that something is whole, or integrated.  God is holy, or wholly integrated.  There is nothing incomplete or fragmented in Him.

Not so with us.  We are undone, or disintegrated.  Isaiah says lost here, but it is also translated undone.  He was in pieces, acknowledging that the completeness of God had revealed to him how fragmented his life was.

When we are confronted with the holiness of God, we will respond the same way.  If we want to develop our sense of His holiness we must join the song of the four living creatures who never cease to declare it.  The Scriptures tell us they are full of eyes, which tells me they fully see the perfection of our Lord.  We must take time to reflect on this aspect of His character because like them, it draws us to Him, consumed with a desire to be integrated as He is.

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” Revelation 4:8 ESV

How will you respond to their eternal song?  Day and night they never cease to say…”Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty…”  Will you join them?  With you lips and with your life will you sing and live to make known the holiness of God?  Why not start now?

Worthy of Praise, Eternal and Early

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;

The best way to fill your day with praise is to start your day with it.

When you set the tone for the day by allowing the holiness of God to inform your perspective, the likelihood of you keeping that focus is greatly increased.  Seems pretty simple right?  Then why don’t we do it?!?

There is certainly not one simple answer, but I think a key factor is intentionality.  What the four living creatures have over us, besides being covering with eyes, is that they are eternally in the very throne room of God, continually confronted with the awesome reality of who He is.  Because of this obvious disadvantage on our part, we must make a choice to set on minds and hearts on things above early in the day.

How do we do that?  By saying, “I will.”  Consider the Psalmist.  They were not in the throne room either, but had the wilderness tabernacle and Solomon’s temple to inspire them.  Like them, we need to draw some inspiration from the attributes of God, and commit to respond.

“But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.” Psalm 59:16a ESV

Whether it is His strength, His steadfast love, or any other of His many praise-worthy attributes, think on one or more and determine to give Him praise!  And do so early in your day.  It will help you set the tone for a life of resonant praise.

Did you start your day with praise?  Whether it was a song you listened to or simply sang from your heart, did it help to center you in the reality of God?  If you did not, then start right now.  If you did not watch the podcast above already scroll back up and do it now.  It will give you the opportunity to sing these lyrics as an offering to God, and set the tone for the rest of your day.  Then tomorrow, start early!

Jesus, thank You for revealing the holiness of God to me.  As I wake up each morning, stir my heart to offer You the praise which You alone are worthy to receive.  If I forget, remind me early and often, and help me make it a habit.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Early 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.

Like what you finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

Video 14.1 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.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

The four living creatures from Revelation 4:8 never cease to declare this.  The next phrase of their eternal refrain says, “who was and is and is to come.”  A timeless God deserves timeless praise. Ask Him to pull back the heavenly veil and reveal His powerful presence to you today.

Our response to God revealing Himself to us is to commit to fill our days with an earthly echo of the throneroom worship.  Will you commit to start your day with a song of praise to your God? Not sure what to sing? Just sing this.

Our completely holy God blends mercy and might together perfectly.  Isaiah grasped His wholeness or integration and confessed his own disintegration in light of it.  Our right response must likewise mingle friendship and fear. Praise Him for access and awe!

We worship the three-in-one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Though the word Trinity is found nowhere in Scripture, the reality of these three distinct persons who are each God and all God is consistently proclaimed.  Thank Him for revealing Himself to You.

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 The Advantages of Offering Praise Often and Early appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Revelation – https://pixabay.com/photos/revelation-bible-religion-god-holy-981662/
Early Praise – https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-happiness-sunrise-silhouette-570883/

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus
By: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819-1886 (1855)

Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read.  Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Everyone enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We conclude our journey through this great hymn this week.  In the first half of this stanza, we remind ourselves of His promise and ask for the earnestness to bring everything to Him in prayer. Let’s tune our hearts.

What a Promise!

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;

We have recounted many promises of God through this hymn that speak of His willingness and ability to bear every burden.  I want to take a slightly different look at it today.  Lord, open our eyes.

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 ESV

We tend to think of physical burdens, as well as spiritual, mental, and emotional ones.  The context of this Scripture is relational.  The writer is crying out to God throughout this entire Psalm because of the relational assault he is undergoing.

Does that bring anything to mind for you?  Is there a relationship that is creating stress and strain in your life right now?  If not, recall one from the past, and let’s consider how to deal with that.

When you are facing a relational strain, it may not be your first thought to take it to God.  Maybe you examine yourself for causes or try to come up with ways to resolve the strain, which are reasonable things to do, but how much trouble might you save yourself if you went to God first?

Try this, either now or in the future.  Cast that relational strain on the Lord.  Trust Him to sustain you under the weight of it.  Though you feel like it might become more than you can bear, rest in His promise that He will never permit the righteous to be moved.  You can stand strong if you are standing rightly, so ask Him to examine your heart for any wrong you may have injected, make it right, and stand.

Earnest

May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.

I love how intentional the hymn writers were in choosing their words.  Earnest is not a word commonly used today, so allow me to define it.  Earnest, as an adjective, means with sincere or intense conviction.  So, the prayers that are the vehicle by which we bring everything to our Lord are meant to be sincere and offered with intense conviction.

That really challenges us to examine the veracity of our prayers.  Often, we fail to pray at all, but even when we do, are they really sincere and offered with intense conviction? Hmmm.

Let us think about earnest a little differently.  Ear and Nest.

Ear

At the very least, we need to be sending our prayers up to God’s ears.  He knows our needs before we ask, but still wants us to cry out to Him.  Sadly, we often fail to take advantage of the access we have.  If we are to ever bring all to Him in prayer, we need to fill His ears with our continual pleading.  There have been seasons when I cried out frequently about one thing in particular, but I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to say it became a way of life: filling my Lord’s ear with all the concerns of my life all the time.

Nest

It needs to become a way of living, much like how the bird constructs her nest. A nest is where the birds lay their eggs, sit on them until they hatch, and then nurse their offspring until they can fly.  Think about

building such a space with your prayers.  Constantly fill the ears of our Lord with your prayers so that they become a place of safety, a cradle for new life.  Sit on those prayers until they hatch, giving birth to new beginnings and new life.  Nurse that  fledgling hope until it is ready to spread its wings and fly.  All the while, putting new eggs in the nest through other concerns.

While this way of thinking about “being earnest” is a bit strange, it gives us another way to wrap our minds around what seems to be a pretty straightforward truth about praying.  This view forced me to come to terms with what might be required to truly be earnest in prayer.  I certainly need the Spirit in order to have any hope of ever praying like that.

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Ephesians 6:18a ESV

So let’s just keep it simple to finish out.  “Spirit help me pray at all times, with all prayer and supplication.”  Then let Him answer that prayer in you today.

Jesus, thank You for the promises You give to bear our burdens.  Give me the faith to believe You, and the earnestness needed to pray like never before.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Earnest 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.

Like what you finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

Video 13.4 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.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

We can take all our burdens to Jesus with the confidence he would bear them because He promised us He would.  In Matthew 11:28, He invites us to come and find rest. Would you take him up on his offer today? What burden do you need to bring to Jesus?

And we must make this practice of  bringing everything to Jesus a habit.  If we believe Jesus is the kind of friend He promises He is, it will cause our prayers to be earnest, showing sincere and intense conviction. Is that a fair way to describe your prayers? What must change to make it so?

I love it when the hymns take us beyond this age. There is coming a day when we will no longer need to pray, because all our burdens, trials, troubles, cares, sorrows, weaknesses, pains, sins, and griefs will be no more.  How I long for that day! Imagine what that will be like.

So if all of those things we needed to pray about are gone, what will take there place? A feeling of intense pleasure or joy will continually overwhelm us. In God’s presence, we will offer eternal praise and worship to the One who carried our burdens until He ultimately carried us home. Thank Him!

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 What Does Earnest Prayer Look Like? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Promises – https://pixabay.com/photos/bible-blur-book-chapter-close-up-1846174/
Ear – https://pixabay.com/photos/ear-auricle-listen-hearing-2372090/
Nest – https://pixabay.com/photos/nest-empty-home-animal-bird-nest-918898/

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus
By: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819-1886 (1855)

Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read.  Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes everyone.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here, or the Free Member Content Library with some examples of the complete Subscribers content, click here.

Everyone enjoy this video, and the transcript below.

Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We continue our journey through another great hymn today.  In the first half of this stanza, we consider cares and the refuge God provides from them if we will “Take it to the Lord in prayer”.  What kinds of forms do those cares take?  Let’s press in again today as we tune our hearts.

Are We? We Are!

I love how this hymn asks all these rhetorical questions.  I love asking questions.  I have often found it is a good way to gain understanding and really hear the person who is there with you.  People like to talk about themselves, so this is truly a great device used very effectively in this hymn.

The question that opens this stanza asks if we are “weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care”.  When was the last time you used the word cumbered?  Yeah, I know, me either.  It means to hamper or hinder.  Those burdens we carry hamper and hinder our walk, equated with our relationship to Christ.  He does not mean for them to cumber us with a load of care, but rather to use those cares to encourage us to come to Him.

Before we go any further though, let’s just get this out of the way.  Are we cumbered?  We are.  

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;  2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV

We are cumbered. But.  That is a powerful word, and it appears four times in these two verses.

afflicted BUT not crushed
perplexed BUT not despairing
persecuted BUT not forsaken
struck down BUT not destroyed

So what are your current afflictions? Perplexities? Persecutions? Downers? Take a few moments and acknowledge each of them that comes to mind for what they are.  Seriously.  Right now.

Now take a few more moments and thank God that you can bring each of them to Him and because of Who He is and What He has done…you are not crushed, despairing, forsaken or destroyed.  Seriously.  Thank Him right now.

Are we….? We are! BUT.  Instead of being cumbered, you can come to…

Refuge

Kind of like that dated term of cumbered, although not quite as archaic, refuge -in the way I think of it in this light- is more like a castle than a retreat center.  When we think of coming to Him with our cares, I think of running from a full-on assault, not like I simply need some time to decompress and process.  I need to learn to flee to Him so my cares do not cause me to get picked off in the battle raging in my soul.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.  Psalm 62:8 ESV 

As I see it, there are two parts to this:

1. His refuge
2. My trust

God is a refuge for us.  I must believe this.  I am not going to go to Him if I do not believe He can protect me, or that He wants to do so.  Are you so convinced?  If not, maybe that is why you feel so cumbered.  If convinced, do you still feel cumbered?  If so, maybe you simply are not taking things to Him.  Believe He is a refuge.  That is the first part.

I must trust Him at all times.  That trust will cause me to pour out my heart before Him.  I will not keep things to myself that I am incapable of overcoming.  I will acknowledge when I am overwhelmed and will come to Him.  He wants us to find refuge in Him, but it does require that we bring everything to Him.  Not just the big things.  Everything.  That is the second part.

So how are you doing with these two parts?  Do you believe He is a refuge?  The question that reveals if you actually do is this next one: Are you taking everything to Him?  I know we keep coming back to that in this hymn, but that is by design.  We must resolve this issue and learn to take everything to Him.

Let’s practice.  Think of two things you need to take to Him.   Got them?  Take them to Him now.  Talk to Him about them, and then listen.  Then keep bringing them, especially when they afflict or perplex you, when they persecute or strike you down.  Doing so will help you practice and believe He is your refuge!

Jesus, thank You that even though I face cares of many kinds, You are my refuge from them all.  Help me to learn to bring each and every one of them to You as an expression of my trust in You.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Unencumbered 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.

Like what you finding here?  Fill out the form to the right to get an email with each fresh post and updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Please comment below and share if you have found this helpful in your journey of being more resonant.

Video 13.3 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.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Jesus invites all who are weary and heavy-laden to come to Him and find rest. We all have burdens we struggle under that reveal our lack of strength.  If you can acknowledge your weakness, you are in the good company of the humble hearts who look to Jesus. Can you?

Acknowledging you have a burden you cannot bear positions you to look beyond yourself for refuge and relief.  When you earnestly look, you will find Jesus ready and willing to help you. Take whatever it is to Him right now and find Him to be the precious Savior again, or for the first time.

Little is as painful as when someone you thought was a friend who would stick with you through the worst life offers turns away from you in your moment of greatest need.  Jesus will never do that. If you were still struggling with a time a “friend” despised or forsook you, go to Jesus.

Solace is comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness.  We all need that. Though we may find some measure of it elsewhere, no other place compares to that which we find in the arms of Jesus. What an incredible image finding rest and protection there. What’s stopping you?

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 What Weight Will You Lift to the Lord Today? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Cumbered with a Load – https://pixabay.com/photos/boxes-cardboard-carrying-overload-2624231/
Refuge – https://pixabay.com/photos/battlements-bulwark-buttress-castle-1238268/

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus
By: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819-1886 (1855)

Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read.  Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

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Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We continue our journey through another great hymn today.  The second half of this stanza concludes with the same phrase, so it is fair to say this is the main thrust of the stanza, “Take it to the Lord in prayer”.  What are we supposed to take to Him? Good question.  Let’s tune our hearts.

Triple T’s

Trials, temptations, and troubles. Talk about a 1-2-3 punch! And each one of them is an example of our faith being tested.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James 1:2-3 ESV

Notice it does not say “if” you meet trials, but “when”.  So that answers the rhetorical questions about trials, temptations and troubles.  Yes, there are everywhere.  Everyone has them.  Practically all the time, on one level or another.  

And so we have set the stage upon which the great drama of our life unfolds.  We all have these various tests of our faith which come to produce steadfastness in us.  Exactly how does that happen though?

I think of lifting weights.  When you lift a barbell up and put it back down, with good form, you are tearing muscle, which as it rebuilds will make you stronger.  The same is true of these “tests,” whatever form they take.  When we lift them up to the Lord, and put them down in His capable hands, we are tearing down worry and replacing it with faith which makes us stronger.

Try it.  What is testing your faith today?  Name the trial, temptation, or trouble.  Now, carefully and with good form lift it to Jesus and put it in His hands.  Tell Him you are going to trust Him with it.  And leave it there.  When it comes to mind again, repeat the whole action.  Keep repeating it until your faith in Jesus is strong enough to overcome it.  But be on alert, because there are other “faith” muscle groups that need a workout, and so more trials, temptation, and troubles are likely already on the way!

Discouraged?  Pray.

We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Well, that is certainly easier said, or sang, than done.

Can you remember the last time you were discouraged?  You were facing some situation, and the courage to stand in it seemed to have disappeared.  You knew what you should do, or at least feel, but you were struggling.

We have all been there.  We have all been discouraged.  The writer is not saying if you have been discouraged, then you suck at matters of faith.  What he is saying is when you find yourself discouraged, there is a better solution than sucking at matters of faith.  Put your faith to work, whatever faith you have, and take that discouraging thing, situation, person, etc. to the Lord in prayer.

So, let’s go back to our weight training illustration.  When you finish with your bicep curls with that barbell, it is time to work on some other area.  Let’s say shoulders.  You position the barbell and begin to work that new muscle group.  On some level, you may feel like you lack the courage to do this.  Your biceps are already throbbing, and now you are going to subject another muscle group to the same testing.  But it is for your good.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  Philippians 4:6 ESV

You may not feel anxious or even be discouraged about your shoulder workout, but something may have you down today.  What is it?  What is sucking the courage right out of you? I have mine in mind.  Do you?  Give thanks to God that you can identify that test and then acknowledge your need of Him, asking Him for the courage to pray and keep bringing it to Him.

 

Jesus, thank You that in the midst of all my tests of faith I can come to You.  I can identify them for what they are and put my faith to work by lifting them to You.  Help me do that today.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Weighty 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 13.2 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.

 

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Of course we have trials and temptations, even tribulations which Jesus expressly warned us about.  It is not a matter of “if”, but “when”. What is troubling you today, or these days? Take a moment and ask Jesus to show you what you need to bring to Him today.

Jesus followed His warning about tribulations with a promise. He told us to take heart because He has overcome the world. It is truths like this that allow us to sing to one another to not be discouraged, but instead take it to Jesus.  Now take a moment to bring to Him what He revealed before.

Rhetorical question. Answer: no, we cannot find a friend so faithful.  No other friend but Jesus will share all our sorrows as He does. We may have a few really good friends, and maybe even one great one, but none who can compare to the friendship Jesus offers us.  Thank Him. 

The reason we can say there is no friend like Jesus is because no one, not even ourselves, know our every weakness as He does. In spite of that knowledge, He still invites us to bring all our weaknesses, including the ones we do not even know we have, to Him.  Bring them now!

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 What Weight Will You Lift to the Lord Today? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Trouble – Tests – https://pixabay.com/photos/model-man-woman-fresh-dispute-2748342/
Barbell – https://pixabay.com/photos/training-weightlifting-gym-health-2728338/
Discouraged? Pray. – https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-desperate-sad-tears-cry-1006100/