On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

The Old Rugged Cross (1913)
By: George Bennard 1873 – 1958

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

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes to 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 toward Easter this week as we ponder the cross.  In the first half of this stanza, we will bring our hearts up the hill of Calvary and down to the foot of the cross.  This torture device represents something to cherish for those who see it for what it truly is.   Let’s tune our hearts.

Seeing the Cross

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

Most people can not remember the first time they saw a cross.  It is such basic symbol.  Two lines intersecting at a perpendicular point, stood on one of the four ends.  And it is very prevalent in our culture.  You see it everywhere, which is part of why it is so easy to overlook and even dismiss.  But not to those who see it and remember the story of their Savior.

To them, the cross is impossible to forget.  Not only do they remember the story of Jesus, but many see themselves in that story.  They imagine Jesus trodding that long, dusty road to Calvary, sometimes carrying his cross alone, sometimes being helped, but ever obeying the will of the Father.  Can you see it in your mind’s eye?

And he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. John 19:17 ESV

Years have passed since Jesus bore the cross.  Centuries since His hands and feet were nailed to it.  Millenia since He was suspended above the jeering crowd, and graciously sacrificed His life for them…and us.  It may be rugged, through years of serving as the symbol not of death but life, but it still has the power to amaze the heart who will linger there and ponder what they see.

Will you come to the foot of the cross again with me?  Will you look up at this symbol and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the true meaning of it?  Will you go deeper into the rich, eternal meaning it wrought?  Spend a few moments in your heart pondering what Jesus did there, and in particular, what that means for you.

Feeling the Weight

The emblem of suff’ring and shame;

Jesus felt the weight of the cross.  He was a man, so He felt the ridicule that was being hurled at him, even as He climbed that hill and certainly once He hung on that cursed tree.  But of course, He did not let that deter Him from the path the Father had marked out for Him.  That path led Him to become the author and perfecter of our faith.

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 ESV

There was a weight to the cross that was far greater than the scorn He endured from the crowd. Jesus was taking the weight not only of a log of rough hewn wood, but of the sin of the world.  That weight is simply unfathomable to us.

But that is not all that is unfathomable.  Jesus endured the cross and despised its shame because of joy.  Joy?!?  There was joy set before Him.  The Father’s joy that the debt of sin was paid.  Our joy that we have a Savior.  And His joy that He could accomplish all that.

When you consider the cross, are you able to feel the joy?  It requires a heart of faith, but not only in the initial understanding but well beyond it, for His cross points to our own.  The cross brings suffering and shame into our lives at times as we walk a long, difficult, and often misunderstood road of obedience to God.  

It is worth the joy set before you to endure your cross.  Jesus gave us an example to follow.  It is not easy.  But you are not alone.  Bear your cross.  Despise the shame.  Look to Jesus!

The disciples did not understand what Jesus’ cross meant until after the resurrection.  You may not understand yours.  What cross have you borne or might be bearing now that had or has a similar delayed reaction attached to it?  Maybe it is yet to come, but this perspective may help you to pick it up and bear it.  Jesus will be with you as you do.

Jesus, thank You for bearing the cross and pouring such profound meaning into such a simple symbol.  Help me to see it with fresh eyes over the next few weeks that this new perspective may deepen my celebration of Your resurrection.  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.

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 15.1 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.

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Calvary.  The place of the skull.  Historical truth. Spiritual crossroads.  A real hill, a real cross, a real Savior. Rough hewn wood, splinters and all, stood on that rise and became the vehicle of our redemption.  Just imagine for a moment the long, dusty road Jesus climbed.

Many people wear crosses, and I often wonder what those crosses mean to them.  The Romans who crucified Jesus meant it to be the cruelest of torture devices, and it was, indeed, that.  Consider what the experience of the cross must have been like for Jesus.

And what by design was meant to illicit suffering and shame has become for us a symbol of love. Why?  Because Jesus, the Dearest and Best of everyone and everything, went there to willingly lay down His life as a ransom for my sins.  Give Him praise for redefining the cross.

And not just for my sins.   Because He was perfect, He could be a perfect sacrifice, for all sin, across time and space.  We were lost in sin and separated from God, then the cross. Our response must be to cherish it and cling to it, until the day we exchange it for a crown.  Hallelujah!

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

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

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 Some Things are Worth the Climb appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Time to Praise – https://pixabay.com/photos/night-stars-rotation-starry-sky-1846734/
Earth, Sky, and Sea – https://pixabay.com/photos/milky-way-human-lake-dreams-4500469/
Perspective – https://pixabay.com/photos/architecture-perspective-modern-828596/

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
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 video below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, often to Free Members, and sometimes to 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 another great hymn this week.  In the first half of this stanza, we consider the need for praise and the impact that can have on us. He is worthy of all our praise, and the praise of all creation.  That worth dictates a different perspective on things.  Let’s tune our hearts.

Worthy of Praise

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

So we are wrapping up our weeks of reflection on the holiness of God with this last stanza which so closely mirrors the first.  The main and only difference is the second line.  While the first stanza dealt with the timing of our praise, this stanza deals with the praise all creation will offer at the end of time.  Before we look into that though, let us consider one last time just how worthy our Lord God Almighty is of our praise.

Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! Psalm 99:3 ESV

Great.  Awesome.  Holy.

His name is great!  Great means to an extent, amount, intensity or eminence considerably above the normal or average.  God’s name is certainly great, and then some.  Think of one thing He has done in your life and you quickly see just how great is His name.

His name is awesome! Awesome means extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.  Now we are talking.  God’s name is daunting, inspiring admiration to the point of fear.  He is simply so different from us, and awesome begins to approximate that as we begin to wrap our minds around that reality.

He is holy!  Holy means to be dedicated or consecrated to God.  When we acknowledge God as holy, we are saying that since He is perfectly consecrated to His purposes and ways, He is without fault or blemish, there is no shadow in Him, but all light.

Great.  Awesome.  Holy.

That is Who God is.  Who He has revealed Himself to be, in His word and His work in our world.

Joining the Praise

All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;

But it is not enough for God to be holy.  We must acknowledge He is holy.  Not for His glory as much as for our good.  And we do that by giving Him the praise He so rightly deserves.  But don’t just take my word for it.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Psalm 96:11-12 ESV

All God’s handiwork, on earth, sky and sea, should give him praise.  And they should be glad to do so, rejoicing all the while, roaring with exultation.  You do realize that includes you, too, correct?

How is your praising going?  And I am not referring to that which happens in a service, for our service to the King never really ends.  It is a lifestyle.

God is worthy of our praise every moment of every day for the rest of forever.  When we join with all creation, engaging in what we were made to do, we find our purpose and true meaning. But I do not think that means all we do is praise, but rather, everything we do becomes praise.

In other words, I do not think that now, or for eternity, we should or will just sing praise to God.  Instead, now and forever, everything we do should be done to bring praise to God: eating, helping, caring, serving, talking, listening, walking, standing, sitting, etc.  This does not diminish what praise is. Quite the contrary, it exalts every moment of the rest of our days.

But that is not all.

Changing Perspective or Repositioning

When we purpose to make everything a continuous act of giving praise to God, it changing things.  Most of all, us.

For me, when I begin to praise, everything changes.  Well, actually, nothing really changes but me, and how I view everything.  My perspective.  But for all intents and purposes, the impression that leaves me with is that everything has changed.

Let me give you an example. Imagine you are going through something very difficult.  Maybe a relationship is coming to an end. Maybe God is redirecting your efforts in your vocation, or even in how you understand what you do to serve Him.  Maybe there is a financial stress or an overwhelming emotional situation.  Do you have a clear picture of some struggle?

Then you start to praise.  For me, it was the realization recently that praise is what helps me see things differently as I sang the line “This (meaning praise) is how I fight my battles” from the song Surrounded.  It occurred to me that I had not repositioned myself  with praise for a couple days.  That realization reminded me of the power of joining the praise of creation around me, not just ultimately, but continually.

So your exercise for today is to find some way to join the praise and observe how that changes your perspective on at least one thing.  Simple.  But now you have to find a few minutes to inject some praise into your day.  You can do it!

Jesus, thank You for showing us the holiness of God.  Thank You for giving us access and inspiration to enter the praise all around us.  Help us routinely find ways to praise You.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Praise-filled 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 14.4 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.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Isaiah 6 tells us that the seraphim around the throne never stop this refrain.  When we lift our voices to join theirs, we also join all the saints who have ever lifted this grand chorus. Will you join it again today praising His holy name?

There is coming a day when every creature on the earth, in the sky, and in the sea will lift their unified praise to our Lord God Almighty. What an incredible blessing is ours to choose to join that eternal song today and every day!  Lift your voice and your life to him right now and never stop.

Our completely holy God blends mercy and might together perfectly.  He has graciously revealed the wonder of that blessing to us. Our right response must blend seemingly opposing feelings, friendship and fear.  Praise Him again 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 Repositioning Through Praise appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Time to Praise – https://pixabay.com/photos/night-stars-rotation-starry-sky-1846734/
Earth, Sky, and Sea – https://pixabay.com/photos/milky-way-human-lake-dreams-4500469/
Perspective – https://pixabay.com/photos/architecture-perspective-modern-828596/

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

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 to 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 this great hymn.  In the first half of this stanza, we consider a couple of the reasons why we often struggle to see God clearly. Through darkness without and within, we are impaired to make out His work and ways, but there is purpose even in that.  Let’s tune our hearts.

Darkness Without

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,

Sometimes it is difficult to make out where God is and what He is doing in our circumstances.  We have all experienced this, but praise His name, it is sometimes a bit easier than others.  Still, in those moments when it is difficult to trace His hand, our faith has the opportunity to do one of two things: shrink back in His apparent absence, or enlarge to take in His bigger purposes.  Each has an impact on our journey.  It is up to us to choose.

Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.  Psalm 97:2 ESV

The darkness at times is actually clouds or vapors that impair our vision, but often they take different forms.  Illness, victory, tragedy, triumph, apathy, complacency, defeat, ease.  They are not all bad, at least they do not feel bad, but their effect can be, if we are not careful.  What is keeping you from seeing God clearly today?

Some unexpected turn of events.  An expected trouble finally coming into the light.  Your own weakness, or someone else’s.  The disappointment of a friend or someone else close to you.  Someone not keeping their promise.  You failing to keep yours.

These things put our faith to the test because they put our concept of God on trial.  And for many of us, our concept of God is lacking, and the trial reveals that.  But the problem is not with God, but our view of Him.  He is the thrice holy God, without fault or blemish, perfect in all of His ways, which we will examine in our Thursday Thoughts this week.  

How often, though, do we pretend that God is the problem when, in fact, it is our poor image of Him? God is not the problem.  Our ability to see Him clearly, and so dismiss the reality of Who He is, is the real problem.  And even if you pray for the clouds to be removed and the thick darkness to part so you may see Him clearly, He does not often oblige, knowing full well it will profit you more if you press through it ever trusting and allow Him to do His work on His timetable.

He is God and that is His prerogative.  Do not fight it.  Rest in it.

So I ask again.  What is keeping you from seeing God clearly today?  What is that darkness without?  It is important to identify it, but even more important is your intention to trust Him through it. Ask Him for the resolve and the courage to do so.  The answer to those prayers will benefit you far more than the clouds parting.  

Darkness Within

Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;

As much trouble as the darkness without can be, the darkness within is far more insidious.  The darkness around us, we can see and even feel.  But that which is within is much more challenging to identify, and can make our seeing God clearly exceedingly more difficult.  Ask Moses.

He had already had a number of encounters with God of Biblical proportions.  Those encounters left him longing for more.  He was on the mountain with God for weeks on end and still wanted more.  He was feeling especially close to God through all that access and flat-out asked to see the glory of God, and God obliged.  Well, sort of.

And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’…But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” Exodus 33:19a-20 (ESV)

Moses had spent so much time in God’s presence he failed to realize the great disparity between himself and the Most High.  He had become too casual.  But the opposite can also be true.  

Sometimes we can have such a low view of God that our contempt for Him mars our ability to see clearly.  Both are dangerous and an expression of the sin which impairs our sight.  They are dangerous, not because we get to see Him and are undone, but because they tend to keep us unaware of just how near He is, which is equally tragic.

Maybe you are on the mountain with God and that has kept you from approaching with appropriate reverence.  Darkness within.

Maybe you harbor a quiet resentment toward God for some time He “failed” you.  That is in quotes because He never does.  Darkness within.

Maybe (101 other reasons, you fill in the blank) ________.  Darkness within.

We are new creations in Christ and so have a new nature, but the residue of that old nature remains.   That is how I like to refer to the flesh.  That residue houses the darkness within and can create all kinds of problems, but God can certainly help with that, as well, and create ways for us to see the extent of His glory we can handle, and need, in any and every moment.  

What darkness within may be impairing your ability to encounter the holiness of God?  He does not want to keep Himself from you, but may be sparing you an undoing if you are asking for something you are not ready to handle.  Ask the Spirit to reveal any darkness within.  Then ask Him to help you deal with it so you may see God’s radiant transforming glory again, and soon.

 

Jesus, thank You for being Light in my darkness.  Give me faith to believe even when it is difficult to see and even more difficult to acknowledge.  Illumine my heart with Your light, and help me to be dissatisfied when I can not see it and prompted to pursue You anew.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Illuminated 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.

Podcast 14.3 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

 

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,

Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.  Psalm 97:2 ESV

 

We can not see Him face-to-face right now.  He is veiled by clouds and darkness somehow.  And that is probably a good thing, for seeing His glory would cause us to be undone or disintegrated in the light of His integration or wholeness. Thank Him that His glory is veiled.

 

Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;

 

 

And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’…But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” Exodus 33:19a-20 (ESV)

Moses asked to see God’s glory and this was the Lord’s response.  His goodness would pass before Moses, and he would only see God after He had passed, otherwise he would have died.  That is how holy our God is. Seeing His holiness would consume us. Thank Him for His holiness.

 

Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,

 

 

“There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2 ESV

This is from Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of her son Samuel after long being barren.  She had experienced the truth of these words and earned the right to speak them. Have you experienced this truth in your life?  If not, ask Him for it. If so, ask for it again. 

Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

 

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…Hebrews 1:3 ESV

This verse speaks of the perfection of Jesus Christ.  He upholds the universe by His power. His sacrifice of love is the most selfless act in history, and by it He purifies us from our sins.  Give Him praise!

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

 

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 Identifying the Darkness Which Hides God appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Clouds and thick darkness – https://pixabay.com/photos/storm-cloud-stormy-thick-3677717/
Eye of Sinful Man – https://pixabay.com/photos/face-portrait-man-elderly-984031/
Glory Passes By – https://pixabay.com/photos/sun-nature-scenic-india-forests-365981/

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/