But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
It Is Well with My Soul (1873)
By: Horatio G. Spafford, (1828-1888)
Listen to this beautiful version as you prepare to ponder this hymn. 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 one of the most beloved of all hymns, with one of the most poignant, yet inspiring, stories. If you do not know the story, you may watch more about it here. Wellness of soul is for today and eternity. Let’s tune our hearts.
The Sky
I was throwing the frisbee with my youngest son a while back, and he was struggling to get the disc to go where he wanted. I worked with him on the way he was holding the disc, his release and follow through, and while he made great improvements in the flight, the destination remained elusive. I stood a bit and watched him throw a few, and that’s when it hit me…
He wasn’t looking at his target.
He kept looking at the frisbee, checking his grip and the other things we were working on. While those were all important, until he learned to fix his eyes on his goal, he intermittently struggled to get it there.
What is your goal? Where are your eyes fixed? The sky? Ever wonder where your journey will end? When you finish climbing the ladder, will it only be to realize it was leaning on the wrong building? What are you aiming your life toward?
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
Waiting is never easy, but when what you are waiting for seems far off, it can be even harder. Then there is the reality that you may begin to wonder what difference your daily choices make in the final outcome of your life. The grind of life can leave you feeling tired and weary and may tempt you to take a day, or a week, or more off, but we must stay alert.
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42 ESV
So are you are awake and awaiting our Lord’s return, or dozing off a bit? Jesus warned us to stay alert by keeping His return ever in our hearts and minds. Failing to do so leaves us focusing on today, and loosing a larger eternal perspective which effects our ability to develop and cultivate wellness of soul.
RESONATE!
What are you waiting for? It is a line that often precedes a call to action, and the same is true in this instance. We are waiting for Jesus’ coming, and the implied call to action is to wait in such a way as to cultivate wellness of soul and compel others to join us. Are you living that way? Are there changes you need to make? Ask the Holy Spirit to first reveal what you are waiting for, then make any necessary adjustments to make your soul ready for Jesus’ return.
Not the Grave
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
If we are waiting for Jesus’ return, then we will have our eyes on the clouds, not our tombstones. We will be living for a higher purpose, not a lower one, like six feet under the surface of the ground. This purpose gives us a resolve to push through difficult circumstances and keep our chins up because that helps us keep our eyes up as well.
Even if Jesus does not return before the end of our lives, we will be able to die and truly rest in peace [R.I.P] because we will have lived in peace. We are able to cultivate and maintain well souls when we have a bigger perspective on the things we face in this life. When the sky is our goal, not our grave, we can press on, even beyond it.
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 ESV
I love how that verse implies movement. Upward. The grave will not be our final destination. Downward. Ours will be heavenward, to the prize Jesus has made available to all who believe.
And we will be successful as we fix our eyes there, just as my son was when he fixed his eyes on his target. Your joy will be even greater than his though he continually improved. Your Father will be even more pleased than this one was.
RESONATE!
If we are going to die well, we must be committed to living well. We can live well when our souls are well. Our souls can be well when they are guided by the goal of the sky, not the grave. Is your souls well today? If Jesus were to return today would you be ready? Is there anything you know He has called you to do, which you have left undone? That effects your wellness. Resolve today press on toward your goal, and do all the things He has called you upward to do.
Jesus, thank You for calling me upward. Continue to transform my gaze and my trajectory so my entire life and living is pressing on toward the sky. Help we wait well and active. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Directed 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 18.4 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.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
What are you waiting for? It is a line that often precedes a call to action, and the same is true in this instance. We are waiting for Jesus’ coming and the implied call to action is to wait in such a way as to compel others to join us. Are you living that way? Are there changes you need to make?
Show me what changes I need to make.
We are not trying to live with wellness of soul only so we can die well. We have been called upward in Christ which has implications for living and dying, but ultimately hope beyond the grave. Where are yours eyes fixed? On living or dying, or beyond. Ask the Spirit to instruct your gaze.
Spirit, teach me to see beyond living and dying.
We are to have eyes fixed, and also ears tuned. What are you listening for? Amidst the quiet and the noise what are you longing to hear? What are you preoccupied with? Hearing the trumpet blast, God’s voice, or something else? Ask Jesus to train your ears to listen for Him.
Jesus, train my ears to listen for you.
It is our ability to hear His voice now, and eventually at His return, that makes our souls well. He is our hope, and in Him, we have rest for our souls. Thank Jesus for the rest you have in Him now, and the hope that ushers into your soul today, and for eternity.
Thank You Jesus for the rest Your voice brings to my soul.
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
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
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’s Your Goal? appeared first on Resonant 7.
Image Attributions
The Sky – https://pixabay.com/photos/sky-clouds-sunlight-dark-690293/
The Grave – https://pixabay.com/photos/grave-cemetery-rip-tombstone-d-2036220/
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