Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)
By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)
Listen to this karaoke version as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.
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Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.
We conclude our journey of resonance toward Pentecost with this lessor known hymn last week. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ. Like them, He desires to reign in our hearts. Let’s think about this.
What are Your Idols?
Before your dismiss the question, I want to invite you to ask the Spirit to help you identify what may at least occasionally compete for the affection that only Jesus Christ deserves and the throne of your heart. Even before we ask Him to cast them down, stop, quiet yourself and ask Him to show you if there are things that you may have set up as idols, including yourself. They need not be carved images, but can be as simply as an idea, or a desire that consumes your energy and focus and in so doing pulls those things away from your pursuit of God.
Ask the Holy Spirit, “Please reveal any idols in my heart, including my self.” As He does, make a mental note of them so you may ask the Holy Spirit to…
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
He is the only One worthy of your worship. He knows that. You know that. You have to agree with Him about it so that you can partner with Him in a life of brining glory to His name alone.
I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Isaiah 42:8 ESV
Get used to asking the Spirit routinely if there are any idols trying to climb onto the throne of your heart. We are guilty of placing things that have no ability to climb onto that throne. Sounds ridiculous but it is true.
Instead of asking the God of the universe who loves us eternally and unconditionally to reign in our hearts, we allow other things to do so. The figures in the Old Testament seem so foolish for trusting in carved images that could not possibly help. We look at them and think, “I would never do that.” Instead, we trust in symbolic idols, images and ideas in our minds without even fashioning physical idols. We must also deal with our self, which becomes the entry point of all other idols.
We are going to ask Him to reign in the next section, but first take a few moments and develop a willingness to allow the Spirit to identify and cast down your idols. He will help you if you simply ask Him.
RESONATE!
By this point in our progression we have already asked the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts. As we do, we are effectively inviting Him to take up residence there. He will not share the space with anything else, including us. Ask Him to help you identify and cast down idols every day. Confess your proclivity to raise them up. Let Him help you change that thought process and behavior.
Asking the Holy Spirit to Reign
Putting Christ on the throne of your heart, allowing the Holy Spirit to reign and reign alone is the wisest thing you could ever do. It may also be the most difficult. But asking Him to dwell in your heart, and cast down every other idol from that throne are essential first steps.
Once you have done those things you are have created a scenario where Christ can reign alone on the throne of your heart. The challenge becomes practicing this so that you do not displace Him through your thoughts and choices. The Holy Spirit becomes the central, crucial figure in accomplishing this daily.
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
This simple, beautiful prayer is ultimately the one that allows all the other prayers we have prayed throughout this hymn actually become an ongoing reality. The Holy Spirit can illumine, cleanse, heal, encourage and so much more if we will allow Him but the key indicator is love. When we love Him, and demonstrate that in love for one another, He lives in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 1 John 4:13 ESV
His Spirit helps us to love and shows He dwells in us. Welcome that evidence.
RESONATE!
Thank the Holy Spirit for His work of love in your idol-ravaged heart. Though we are inclined in our selves to put any number of other things on the throne of our hearts, the Holy Spirit helps us put Christ there. Then we are empowered to love Him and love others. Invite that work again today, and every day.
Jesus, thank You for sending Your Spirit to cheer my saddened heart, and ultimately heal my wounded bleeding heart. Thank You, Spirit, for invading those woes and exiling them far away from me. Help me to continue to learn how to walk in the overwhelming, eternal joy only You can bring. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Lovely Thinking!
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Podcast 17.4 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 Spirit, all divine,
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV
To be transformed into the very image of God, reflecting His glory, is our highest aspiration. Only the Spirit can cause this to happen. Welcome His work today.
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV
How often do we act as though we do not know the answer to this question? Yes, the Spirit dwells in us. And we need Him to remind us of that regularly, and His power to rest in His abiding presence. Ask Him to fill you again today that you may live for His glory.
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Isaiah 42:8 ESV
Idols are not just an Old Testament problem. Anything that competes with our affection for God is an idol. We may not craft them with our hands, but they still try to establish a throne in our hearts. Ask the Spirit to identify rivals for worship so you may be aware, then cast them down.
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 1 John 4:13 ESV
We know God abides and reigns in us as we love one another. Christ identified the greatest commandment, to both love God, and our neighbors as ourselves. We can truly only do that as the Spirit helps us. Ask Him to reign in you today as you love others.
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 Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
The post Who is Directing Your Heart? appeared first on Resonant 7.
Image Attributions
Self-Directed Life – https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/10-basic-steps/1-the-christian-adventure.2.html
Christ-Directed Life – https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/10-basic-steps/1-the-christian-adventure.2.html
for more on these images and the concepts they depict visit those links.
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