Wednesday Wanderings is a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with our Holy Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we considered the Old Rugged Cross and the concept of being despised because of our association with it. This week we will consider the beautiful grace that flows down from the cross and what it accomplishes. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE: Ephesians 1:7 ESV In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

The Old Rugged Cross invites us to remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the grace that flows down from it which covers our sin and shame.  His blood accomplishes our redemption, ushering in forgiveness for every wrong, and all this according to His grace.  We get what we could have never deserved.  The cross reminds us of this remarkable truth.

PSALM: The Old Rugged Cross was written by 1912 by Evangelist and song leader George Bennard who was a native of Youngstown, Ohio.

PARABLE: So what is your story and how does it relate to the cross today?  Maybe you first experienced the flow of grace year ago and have learned to walk in its mighty streams.  Maybe you are just beginning to realize just how great that grace was which you have received for the first time only recently.  Wherever you are in that continuum, you need His grace today.

We know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  (Romans 3:23) But we must acknowledge that as long as we are on this side of glory, the temptations of the flesh remain very real.  We are all guilty of choosing our own desires over God’s at times, some of those times being after we have been pardoned and sanctified.  It is the difference of our standing before God and our experience of it.

For as much as we endeavor to live cherishing the old rugged cross, there are times when the allure of other things pull us away.  We cling to the cross with one hand and reach for something else with the other.

What is your something else?  What competes with the cross in your heart?

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the question: What do I need His blood to cover today, or this season?

Thankfully, it already has and it will.  When Jesus died for you, He was paying for everything wrong you would ever do.   Everything.  You are covered.  That is good news.

It reminds me of the words of another song, Grace Glows Down.

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
Amazing love
Now flowing down
From hands and feet
That were nailed to the tree
As grace flows down and covers me

It covers me
It covers me
It covers me
And it covers me

Soul care training exercise: I invite you to take some time to let His grace cover you today. 

If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise by setting aside time to think about what needs covered.  Maybe listen to Grace Flows Down as you are praying, or just reflect on the text.

• When you are ready, clear your mind and focus on the pardon of the cross.
• Next, allow the Holy Spirit to bring the guilt of any unconfessed sin from deep within your soul.
• Begin to ask for forgiveness. List the things that come to mind and believe that Jesus has covered them.  Declare that in faith  as things come to mind.
• Then, thank God for covering you.
• Lastly, ask Him for the strength to walk in that flow.

PRAYER:  Jesus, thank You for giving your life for me knowing I would sin, even after I have been pardoned.  Sanctify me by continuing to invite me into a life of surrender where I cherish your cross above all the things that might otherwise tempt me to choose my way.  Empower me to cling to my cross, until the day I exchange it for a crown.  Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to thank our loving God for the Old Rugged Cross. Let the work of your wandering fill you with the love of Christ.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post What Needs Covered Today? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image attributions
Grace Flows Down – https://www.dreamstime.com/christ-cross-shining-sun-heart-drops-water-blood-image149917168
And Covers Me – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/guilty-imprisonment-for-debt-sinful-3096227/

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with our Holy Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we responded to God’s mercy and might. This week we will consider the Old Rugged Cross. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE: Matthew 5:44-45 The Message

^43-45 “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does.

The Old Rugged Cross reminds us of the overflowing consuming love of God that helps you to love the world that may despise you.

PSALM: The Old Rugged Cross was written by 1912 by Evangelist and song leader George Bennard who was a native of Youngstown, Ohio.

Oh that old rugged cross so despised by the world
Has a wondrous attraction for me
For the dear Lamb of God
Left His glory above to bear it to dark calvary
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 one day for a crown

Evangelist George Bennard, a native of Youngstown, Ohio wrote the popular hymn The Old Rugged Cross. It was written after receiving ridicule following a revival meeting. He was despised for doing what he believed was the will of God. The image  reminds us that even when we are despised by the world, we are being held by and can cling to the arms of Jesus.

PARABLE: We cannot always articulate to others the choices we make to bear our own cross. As they misunderstand us, they may grow to despise us and ridicule our choices. Being despised or ridiculed for what you believe God has told you to do is challenging. Yet, the cross is a reminder that it is worth it. The cross represents the power of Jesus. The cross represents: 

1. The power to set men free (1 Peter 2:24)
2. The power to create in me a desire to be righteous (Romans 7:5-6)
3. The power to convince me that I am loved (John 3:16; Romans 5:6-8)

As we weep for our injustices, we can let the old rugged cross attract us to the truths of Jesus. The cross represents the truth that Jesus has already shed tears for our hurts and His love is bottling our tears.  The truth we can see in the symbolism of the cross is that we are free from sin and condemnation. It  replaces our natural cravings for perfection with the the supernatural desire to serve our perfect God. The cross directions our attention and affection to Jesus and it reestablishes our identity and worth in who Christ says we are in Him. Because of the cross, our life and perspective is changed.

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the question: When is the last time you were despised for doing what God called you to do?

Not everyone will love you for loving God. You will face ridicule and opposition. It is the sole career of the Evil One to kill, steal, and destroy your trust of who God is and your belief of who you are in Christ. Satan will use friend or foe to wipe out your purpose. The cross is a reminder that the victory is already won but it doesn’t always prevent us from experiencing the battle.

Soul care training exercise: Since we know we will experience opposition on our path to serving Jesus, we must recognize that we will be despised and learn to pray for those who persecute us.  

If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise by setting aside time to think about a person who has or is persecuting you. 

• When you are ready, clear your mind and focus on the healing love of the cross.
• Next, allow the Holy Spirit to bring the image of the person to your mind.
• Begin to pray for them. Pray for their unhealed hurts and trauma. Pray for them to know Jesus more closely. Pray for them to let go of stronghold that drives them to despise and persecute you.
• Then, consider searching your heart to see if you have despised and persecuted them in any way.
• Lastly, ask God to forgive you and pray for yourself.

PRAYER:  Daddy Jesus, thank you for the symbolism of the cross. Thank you that it reminds me that your love is a consuming fire that can burn away all the residue of ridicule and persecution. Help me to see the cross and remember to love those who persecute me. Help others to see the cross and remember to love me when I persecute them. I love you and I need you Jesus. In your loving name I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to thank our loving God for the Old Rugged Cross. Let the work of your wandering fill you with the love of Christ.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Despised  appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image attributions:
Google prophetic art images.

Wednesday Wanderings is a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with our Holy Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we considered our response to God’s mercy and might. This week we will about the impact of the expression of His mercy on the cross. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE:

PSALM: The Old Rugged Cross was originally written by George Bennard in 1913.

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.

How do we respond to this extravagant and undeserved expression of grace? Worship! Worship is our sincere response to God’s self-revelation.  We enter in now, even as Scripture reveals we will do so with those from every tribe and nation before he throne.

PARABLE:

⁹ After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

¹³ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” ¹⁴ I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.   Revelation 7:9-14 ESV

As we spend time wandering into the Presence of God, He will reveal His unmerited kindness to us. We will learn of His redemption and we will respond in worship. We will come to know the cleaning work of the blood of the Lamb which He freely shed for us on that hill far away.

Though our sins were scarlet and red like crimson, Jesus somehow washes them white, in His blood.  The imagery there is powerful.  Our sin-stained lives are put under the power of His blood, and they come out white.  White like the snow and the wool represented above.  Amazing! Thank you Lord.

How will you respond today?  The multitude above came ready.  Standing in God’s presence and dressed for the occasion. They waved palm branches like the crowds during His triumphal entry on Passion week.  They cried out not Hosanna which means “you will save us”, but Salvation belongs to our God because He has!

Whether we choose to stand, lift out hands, cry out, or all these and more, worship is our response to our Savior’s mercy demonstrated with the shedding of His blood.

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the question: What is my worship response to being “washed…white in the blood of the Lamb”?

More than a particular action or set of actions, God calls us to a life of worship.  We can never repay what He has done for us, and so we should never try; however, we should live our lives with a debt of gratitude for His mercy which informs every word, thought and deed.  So, will you spend a few minutes thinking about that?

Soul care training exercise: It takes intentionality to develop a life of worship. If we want worship to be our continual response to God, we have to begin to train our soul to respond in worship. 

If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise by setting aside time to worship God in the way you choose. Take time to still your mind and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

• When you are ready, clear your mind and focus on the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.
• Determine how you will remember His sacrifice and respond today.
• Maybe every time you go through a doorway, or set a timer for every hour.  You could enlist the help of a friend to text back and forth through the day to spur each other on, or think about it every time you take a drink of something all day.
• Then, consider how you might make a habit of it.

If you would like to listen to a song to set your heart on worship and your mind on living it our before God, you may listen to The Heart of Worship.

PRAYER:  God, you are worthy of all the worship I could ever bring. Help me to bring my songs, but more than just songs, my life in response to your washing me white in Your blood.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to thank our Self-Sacrificing and Merciful God. Let the work of your wandering fill you with the love of Christ.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Worshipping the One Who Washed Our Sin-stains White appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image attributions:
Wool – https://pixabay.com/photos/fleece-hide-wool-sheep-fluffy-1524448/
Old Rugged Cross – https://pixabay.com/photos/wooden-cross-wood-good-friday-3262919/
Washed White in the Blood – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/blood-a-drop-of-red-blob-297828/

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with our Holy Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we responded to God’s holiness. This week we will consider our response to God’s mercy and might. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISE: Psalm 63:3  Basic English Version

PSALM: Holy, Holy, Holy was originally written by Reginald Heber in 1826.

How do we respond to our holy, merciful, and mighty God? Praise! Praise is an expression of thanksgiving for who God is and for what He has done. The angels of heaven praise Him. The creations of earth praise Him. The songwriter declares that all God’s works shall praise Him. This includes you and I.

PARABLE:

As we spend time wandering into the Presence of God, He will reveal His wonder to us. We will learn of His holiness and we will respond in worship. We will come to know the might of the Lion of Judah and the gentle mercy of the Lamb of God and we will respond in praise. 

Our praise responses may vary as there are different ways to praise God. Here are a few Hebrew words for praise.

• Barak  means to kneel or bow in adoration (Psalm 95:6).
• Yadah means to extended hands (Psalm 63:4).
• Towdah means to sing in prophetic praise (Psalm 50:14).
• Shabach means to shout (Isaiah 12:6).
• Halal means to say hallelujah (Psalm 113:1).

Whether we choose to bow, extend our hands, sing, or shout hallelujah, praise is a response to our Holy God’s mercy and His might.

PONDER and WANDER:  If you choose, Ponder the question: What is my praise response to the holy, merciful, and mighty God?

There is no right or wrong way to praise God. God is not concerned with our method of praise. If I can confess, my praise response sometimes take the form of a dance. Sometimes it almost looks like ballet leaps. Sometimes it almost looks like Zumba. Sometimes it almost looks like hand dancing. Sometimes it almost looks like line dancing. My habit when I hear music is to dance. Because I mostly listen to Worship music, I dance to the worship music. What is your habitual method of praise?

Soul care training exercise: It takes time to develop a habit. If we want praise to be our normal response to God, we have to begin to train our soul to respond in praise. 

If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise by setting aside time to praise God in the way your choose. Take time to still your mind and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

• When you are ready, clear your mind and focus on the Holiness of God.
• Next, set your timer for three minutes and take a praise break.
• Begin to praise God in the way you choose.
• Then, consider making a habit of it.

If you would like to listen to a song to set your heart on worship and your mind on praising God, you may listen to Praise Like Oil 

PRAYER:  God, you are worthy of every praise I could ever bring. I pour out my praise like oil onto your feet. I break my alabaster box not to impress anyone but because I behold you!  You are worthy.  In the Holy name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to thank our Holy, Merciful, and Mighty God. Let the work of your wandering fill you with the love of Christ.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Responding to Merciful & Mighty  appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image attributions:
Prophetic art found on Google images. 

Wednesday Wanderings is a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.  It is very dark to set the tone for our reflections.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Now that we have cleared our minds of the clutter, we can wander on the journey with our Holy Jesus.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we considered Responding to Holy. This week we will consider our response to God’s holiness when darkness makes it difficult to see Him. When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

PROMISES

Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.  Psalm 139:12 ESV

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

PSALM: Holy, Holy, Holy originally was written by Reginald Heber in 1826.

It is the first half of the hymn that we are going to focus on today, and particularly the idea of how darkness can often have the effect of hiding God.  That darkness can be outside of us, or inside of us, it truly makes no difference because both impair our ability to see God’s presence, even though neither actually makes Him any less present.

PARABLE: Jesus told us that He is the Light of the World.  He said it this way,  “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 ESV  If that is the true, and it is, why is it sometimes so difficult to see His light? Why does it sometimes feel like we are walking in darkness?

 PONDER and WANDER:  

If you choose, Ponder the questions: How can I find the light of Christ in the darkness of my life?  What darkness seems to be hiding His presence from me today?

God wants His light to shine out of the darkness.  Is there darkness our souls? Yes.  Is God present there? Yes.  God wants to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, and He does that through the face of His Son Jesus Christ.

Sometimes we struggle with darkness because we wonder why God would allow it.  We assume darkness is a mistake or some kind of punishment. But do we have the faith to consider that maybe the darkness is God’s design because it is the best way for Him to reveal Himself to us?

Think of it this way.  If everything is bright then the flame of the candle in the image above is at least a little more difficult to identify.  But in the utter darkness of that photo, it is very simple.  There is also a remarkable contrast between the two which makes the choice much simpler.  We may be walking in darkness, but remember the Scripture from above, “darkness is as light with you.”  The key word there, with.

So the issue becomes one of faith.  Do I believe God is with me even in the darkness?  You may want to say yes, but it is not easy.  That’s ok. He understands.

Soul care training exercise: Maybe you simply need to let your soul become accustomed to the dark, never afraid for God is there with you.  Think of it like when your eyes slowly adjust in a dark room.  When you first enter, you may not be able to make out anything.  But as your eyes adjust you can make out a little more. 

If you choose, complete this week’s soul training exercise by setting aside time to look for Jesus in the darkness. 

• Take time to still your mind and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• When you are ready, close your eyes and step into the darkness of your season with Him.
• Take a few minutes and listen to what Jesus is saying to you as you see to experience the Presence of God.
• Ask Him to shine in your heart to give the light of the knowledge of God.
• Then, let the flame of God’s Presence bring you to a deeper understanding of Jesus.

PRAYER:  Jesus, You are with me in this darkness. It is as light to You, but I am struggling to see anything.  Help my soul adjust, to take time to become accustomed to the scenario so that I can begin to make out your cross, and your path for me.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to thank the Light of the World for showing Himself in your circumstance. Let the work of your wandering fill you with the light of Christ.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Looking for Light in Darkness appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image attributions:
Light in the Dark – https://pixabay.com/photos/candle-light-candlelight-flame-3508563/
Cross in the Dark – https://pixabay.com/photos/slovakia-star-trails-the-galaxy-3915350/