Prone to Wander (#361 of 365+)

This is a beautiful verse from Come Thy Fount:

Oh, 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, oh, take and seal it,
seal it for Thy courts above!

Like the composer of that hymn, I confess I’m also “prone to wander.” My thoughts and feelings are often thousands of miles away from the things of God. And, although the Holy Spirit will never leave me, I don’t always acknowledge or notice his presence. How awful is that?

But, thank the Lord, he doesn’t condemn us when we fall short of perfection. Before any of us were born—even before Jesus Christ could die for the world’s sin—God’s had tender thoughts towards his people or those who would become his:

“But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them” (Hosea 11:2-4)

Father God, thank you for giving me freedom through Jesus Christ. May I never take it for granted. Thank you for your life-giving Spirit and for granting every breath I breathe. Thank you for your constant presence and the counsel of your Word. I don’t want to waste any of your gifts with the pursuit of lesser things. You’re gracious and tenderhearted; teach me to be more like you. You’re holy and wise; lead me in the direction I should go. Use me to spread the good news of your kingdom. Amen.