I’ve sung the hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” nearly every night for the past decade. It’s the lullaby I sing over my children as I put them to sleep. I’ve spent thousands of hours rocking a swaddled cherub in my arms and softly singing these words:
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
I mean it. Deep down in my gut, I swear I do. And yet, in the light of day, when life is hard, my heart doesn’t turn toward praise quite so easily. The Lord described us perfectly when He said, “They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways” (Hebrews 3:10). There’s no sense in trying to sugarcoat it.
The prophet Isaiah declared, “We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way” (Isaiah 53:6). It’s why Robert Robinson, writer of the hymn I mentioned above, included these words, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love…” And why I sing them to my babes, knowing they inherited their wandering hearts from me. I’m so prone to wander toward fear, doubt, and worry, instead of trusting that God will come through. If the measure of my blessings hinged on the amount of my faith, I’d have to go without.
Faith is the only gift we have to offer the Lord. It’s what the Samaritan leper brought Jesus in Luke 17, and it was enough. “And he told him, ‘Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you’” (v.19). But unlike faith, the grace of God isn’t measured in mustard seeds. The “streams of mercy” we sing about are more like a tidal wave, capable of washing away our sin and guilt (Zechariah 13:1), even when our faith is frail.
Perhaps the reason I’m so comforted by the words of Come Thou Fount, is because of a story I once heard about its songwriter. As it goes, one day Robinson was riding in a stagecoach when a lady asked him his thoughts on the hymn she’d been humming. Robinson reportedly replied, “Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.”
I’m so grateful for and encouraged by the disciples’ request of Jesus, found in Luke chapter 17. They asked, “Increase our faith!” (v.5). Their words remind me of the tender prayer of a father desperate to see Jesus heal his boy found in Mark 9:24, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
Prone to wander. Lord, I feel it. And yet, we serve a God who is relentless in pursuit of us (Luke 15:4). Whether you have faith the size of a mountain or a speck today, you can wrap yourself up tightly and rest in this:
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Erin Davis is an author, blogger, and speaker who loves to see women of all ages run to the deep well of God’s Word. When she’s not writing, you can find Erin chasing chickens and children on her small farm in the Midwest.
I think my prayer for faithfulness is aligned with my desire for perfection. I am constantly praying to be more faithful and more disciplined in my walk to perfectly follow what God has laid out for me. I pray that I turn this prayer of faithfulness around to a prayer of gratitude, that God does not need me to be perfect and his mercy for me does not run out. I do pray for more faithfulness, but I know that if I wander, God will leave the 99 sheep to carry me home on His shoulders rejoicing!
I too am so prone to wander. I feel it in my heart to pour out mercy and praise and when challenged with inconvenience, I “do not know his ways’. Praying for much needed organic change in hearts that bring darkness to light so that the Lord can work. I need saving every minute. Jesus you are worth every praise and thanks. I want to follow you and all your ways.
“If the measure of my blessings hinged on the amount of my faith, I’d have to go without.” So incredibly true for us! I’ve been working to spend my days and nights in constant thanks to God instead of petitioning, though things seem to be in constant question the past two years, God has never wavered in His care and keeping of us. I am beyond words grateful for a savior that would be so moved for me. ~ B
Casi, I am prayerful, this morning, over your family. Father God, our Rock, our Redeemer, I lift up Casi, her husband and that sweet baby boy. You know the concerns in their hearts, the sadness they feel in this new news. Lord, please provide a peace that only you can and gift them a vision they can hold onto in this process. Help them to know that their son is your son, as well, and that he is precious to you. You are still delivering on your promises, though they may not know what your plan is, they can have confidence that you’re there. I pray for the hands of the surgeons, that they be lead by You, that they seek You in their work and that through this, many will see You. May you be glorified in the long, healthy life of Casi’s son and may there never be a day that they don’t see you in this season.
Blessed are You Lord God of the universe that loves each of us to a depth that is immeasurable to our minds. We bring Casi, her husband, and child to Your feet. You know their needs and we join together praising You for meeting them. We know that You are there with them and that You adore and cherish them. Bind them up, help them to lean in, carry them when needed. In the name of Your precious Son, Amen.
Casi- praying for your family to experience a peace you can’t even understand from Him today… can I encourage you to read today’s post at IfEquip.com?? I had read your comment and then was reading the scripture plan they posted today- all about peace and praying peace. I think it would be encouraging:) Praying all goes smoothly and the surgeries are successful in every way!!!
Jehovah Rophi, our God who heals, We pray over Casi’s precious son. You gave this little boy life. You planned for every moment of his days and we thank you for him.
As Casi and her husband prepare for these surgeries, give them Your peace that passes understanding. Allow them to rest in the fact that You love their little boy even more than they do. As unimaginable as that seems to a mother’s heart of love, it is truth. Jehovah Rohi, our Shepherd, watch over these lambs of Yours. Thank you that they have You as their Shepherd – lead and guide them beside the still waters during this time. And as Moses’ sister offered a song of praise to You after crossing the Red Sea, may this family be able to shout songs of hallelujah and praise.
Be the touch of every single hand upon this child.
El Shaddai, All-Powerful, All-Sufficient One we lay this request before You. We give you all the glory and praise.
Amen.
Casi: Father God, I lift up Casi and her precious son this morning. Give them strength and healing. Draw them close to you. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
Thank you for your raw honesty in writing today’s devotion. Even as I read the chapter in Luke I was wandering… and justifying my wandering… which leads to feelings of guilt and I’m-not-good-enough-for-God-to-love-me-ness. Feelings can truly be little devils. I’ll camp out on the hope today that the “big faith days” are just around the corner.
Amen, Lisa. I can very much relate. ❤️