It's easy to sing the hymn “I Am Resolved" and think we've found no charm in select and visible worldly delights. Usually we hear preaching about the world’s delights being smoking, drinking, drugs, women, and money, etc… and those are correctly described. But what about the worldly delights within the church house and in vocational ministry?
Where Jesus is not lifted up above the efforts and traditions of men...
Where positions and programs are promoted more than prayer and the presence of Christ...
Where the spirit of the Lord is overtaken by the spirit of man...
Where the image keeping matters more than honest transformation into Christ’s image...
I have deceitfully been charmed (won over) by some of these "sheltered from the world" worldly charms. I am resolved no longer to linger… charmed…
Some synonyms for "charmed" are attracted, beguiled, won over.
Alert: the Enemy is a sly fox. He is a manipulator and gets people who are sincerely seeking the Lord by twisting the truth ever so cunningly and in the guise of growth. After veering away from truth at even a one degree angle, the path becomes the norm and the truth is far away. When destruction comes on this well beaten path, we cannot even see back to the Bible because we think we're "doing" the work and cannot pause for evaluation or directions lest we not "build the wall" with our name on it (in the name of God.) We flounder and flail in order to force God (so we think) to bless our own road which appears to be like the other ones we've been charmed by and dream to copy.
From the hymn "I Am Resolved" come these words:
"I am resolved
No longer to linger
Charmed by the world's delight
Things that are higher
Things that are nobler
These have allured my sight.
I will hasten to Him
Hasten so glad and free.
Jesus - greatest highest
I will come to thee
I am resolved
To go to the Savior
Leaving my sin and strife
He is the true One
He is the just One
He hath the Words of life.
I am resolved
To follow my Savior
Faithful and true each day
Heed what He sayeth
Do what He willeth
He is the living way.
Words by Palmer Hartsough
Music by James H. Fillmore
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When truth is revealed by His Spirit,
Linger not in the muck of charms,
Listen only to the voice of Jesus,
Live in His grace; rest in His arms.
Jesus is real. He is worthy. He is true.
Resolve to live in truth, not enemy lies.
For what charm is valued greater than
Christ Himself ~ our highest prize? ~jlw