“Come, Thou Fount”

Oh, to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be;Let that grace now like a fetterBind my wand’ring heart to Thee:

fet·ter

/ˈfedər/

Noun

1. a chain or manacle used to restrain a prisoner, typically placed around the 

    ankles.

Verb

1. restrain with chains or manacles, typically around the ankles.

To what is your heart fettered? To what has your heart been bound or tied to? Knowingly or unknowingly, on purpose or not, we bind our hearts to all manner of things in this world: addictions, current events, finances, the past, the future. I’m sure you can make your own list of all the things that have, at one time or another, taken hold of you.    

Robert Robinson, when he wrote this great hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” acknowledged that his wandering heart desperately needed to be fettered to God. Why? Because left to his own devices, Robinson was “prone to wander” from his creator and redeemer. The only thing that could keep him fettered to God was God’s grace itself.

This is the grace which Paul describes in Ephesians 1:

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our tresspasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

God’s grace, lavished upon you, isn’t just a past-time event. We too are prone to loosen the bonds on our heart and flee yet God continually offers his grace for you. Given freely through His Word and Sacraments, God is constantly binding our hearts to His. May we bask in this lavish grace of God, freely given, so that God might unite us eternally to Himself.