Dissonance Demands Resolution

by Paul McGuire

Dissonance: a mixture or union of harsh, unharmonious sounds (or life-events), which are grating or unpleasing to the ear (or to life). Musically, the dissonance is commonly used in “driving” a melody towards its ending. JS Bach often used elaborate, dissonant, extended chords at the end of his organ music. The elongated tension can even be stressful!

Is our loving Father allowing the dissonance of our days in our Nation to extend to a place where we will cry out as one, “Resolve this dissonance created by wickedness, dear God! Come, drive unrighteousness from our land! Let it fulfill Your divine purposes!

Remember what God told Solomon at the temple dedication, recorded for us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 (paraphrased)— [When things are really going south, with your whole world in great dissonance] if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I [will bring wonderful resolution to their discordance].

In our times of personal dissonance, can we bring ourselves to cry out the Name of Jesus? He is the resolution to every dissonance! The Name above every name that is named. Whatever dissonance is creating havoc in your life, whether your body, your family, your work, your finances, or—as it affects all of us—our country, begin and continue to proclaim the Name above every name over every dissonance, crying for genuine resolution. Start now and don’t stop.

There are times that dissonance will remain for a season. But those times remain only to remind us to always return again and again to the Name above all names. The Apostle Paul experienced a dissonance, he called it a “thorn in the flesh.” He was told that it remained to remind him of God’s total sufficiency to realize successes in the face of dissonance. Apostle Paul’s resolution came only at the end of his life here. But what could be more beautiful and satisfying than “resolving” life’s dissonance by stepping at last into our Lord’s presence? (Could you work with that?) In the way our Father works, extended dissonance brings victories right in the face of the enemy’s plans for failure. That is often His style.

For us, in the process of waiting, our wise Father is exposing wickedness in our land—first among His own people and simultaneously in our political system. Wickedness threatens our very existence. What glaring dissonance we are experiencing! In our times, however, as the dissonance tests our faith, be assured that a glorious resolution is coming. Once again, the Name of the Lord will be exalted in this land. There is coming the wonderful sound of revival in the earth!

Life has many times of dissonance, but its greatest quality is that it points out and calls for God’s harmonious resolution. Do not give in to the frustration that may come. Remember the Apostle Paul’s remarkable exclamations in Romans 8:27-28 NLT. (Read it all again). In part, “…the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”

Call on Jesus for your resolution to life-dissonances. His resolution will make beautiful music that will surprise you. “But God demonstrated His Love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners [in great dissonance with God’s plans], Christ died for the ungodly,” Romans 5:8.

About The Author Paul McGuire has been born again for almost 60 years, and has pursued to hear God’s Voice through all those years. He and his wife Teresa of 49 years are active at Living Word Church in Cleveland, Tennessee. They have two children and five grandchildren.