Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6
In 1755, Robert Robinson was a gang leader, his life characterized by dissolute living. In a drunken stupor he heard the famous preacher, George Whitefield speak. Whitefield’s message touched his conscience -- three years later he came to faith in Jesus Christ. He penned the powerful hymn, "Come Thou, Font of Every Blessing" to capture the struggles of his life. Robinson had a hard time remaining faithful to God. He struggled to live as Jesus taught us. He came to understand that we need to recommit to Jesus' teaching every day.
"Come Thou, Font of Every Blessing" was one of the first "Protestant" hymns I was introduced to. It spoke to me as well. It reminded me of how easily it is to compromise our faith, if we are not careful. It speaks of our need of God -- but of our struggles with the forces of the world. How easy it is to forget God in the course of our daily life. We need help to be Christ-like. The help of the Holy Spirit -- and help from each other.
Isn't it the truth: we need to share what we desperately need to incorporate in our lives? That we need to teach what we most desperately need to learn? Every day we need to walk our faith anew. Robinson captured this reality of ours so well “prone to wander Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.” Augustine and Martin Luther both spoke of it as the state of living incurvatus in se -- which is Latin for the human person living bent in on himself. Through following Jesus, we are reforged so that we change direction -- from oneself to God. It is like a bone being set, everyday. The Holy Spirit leads us to conform our lives to the gospel -- in the face of our human frailty and daily temptation.
May our spirits acquire a" Godward" bent through the transforming power of the gospel. May we find the glory of Jesus -- in the face of our neighbor, and deep in the recesses of our hearts, where untarnished by sin and our struggle, lies the image of God .
Listen to: Tobymac, "Me without You"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL8DpxDQij0&feature=related
PRAY: "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing"
O to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6
In 1755, Robert Robinson was a gang leader, his life characterized by dissolute living. In a drunken stupor he heard the famous preacher, George Whitefield speak. Whitefield’s message touched his conscience -- three years later he came to faith in Jesus Christ. He penned the powerful hymn, "Come Thou, Font of Every Blessing" to capture the struggles of his life. Robinson had a hard time remaining faithful to God. He struggled to live as Jesus taught us. He came to understand that we need to recommit to Jesus' teaching every day.
"Come Thou, Font of Every Blessing" was one of the first "Protestant" hymns I was introduced to. It spoke to me as well. It reminded me of how easily it is to compromise our faith, if we are not careful. It speaks of our need of God -- but of our struggles with the forces of the world. How easy it is to forget God in the course of our daily life. We need help to be Christ-like. The help of the Holy Spirit -- and help from each other.
Isn't it the truth: we need to share what we desperately need to incorporate in our lives? That we need to teach what we most desperately need to learn? Every day we need to walk our faith anew. Robinson captured this reality of ours so well “prone to wander Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.” Augustine and Martin Luther both spoke of it as the state of living incurvatus in se -- which is Latin for the human person living bent in on himself. Through following Jesus, we are reforged so that we change direction -- from oneself to God. It is like a bone being set, everyday. The Holy Spirit leads us to conform our lives to the gospel -- in the face of our human frailty and daily temptation.
May our spirits acquire a" Godward" bent through the transforming power of the gospel. May we find the glory of Jesus -- in the face of our neighbor, and deep in the recesses of our hearts, where untarnished by sin and our struggle, lies the image of God .
Listen to: Tobymac, "Me without You"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL8DpxDQij0&feature=related
PRAY: "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing"
O to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.