Hymns withstand the test of time for good reason. “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” was written in 1758, but congregations around the world still sing it today. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love—lyrics that will always resonate with the heart of the believer and the age-old battle between our sinful selves and who we are in Christ: “For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Rom. 7:18-19)

As the hymn says, Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God. Jesus came to us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8), not after we had cleaned ourselves up and gotten our acts together. He came right into the middle of our wandering, and that wasn’t a one-time event. We are daily prone to wander, but scripture tells us his mercies are new every morning. (Lam. 3:22-23) His kindness continues to pursue us, in spite of us.

How your kindness yet pursues me
How your mercy never fails me

Because of this, we can tune our hearts to grace, rather than to fear or shame. In Christ, the song from our hearts sings of the kindness God has done for us, by no power of our own and by no performance or act that is worthy.

We can rest in a Father who has taken our hearts and sealed them. We are his and no matter how far we wander, his kindness pursues us still.

Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

Based on the song Come Thou Fount (I Will Sing) by Chris Tomlin. Original post available on YouVersion based on the album Never Lose Sight.