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.
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. 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.
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 13.2 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/
Leave a Reply