“Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.”
From “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” Hymn

1 Peter 2:16 (NASB)
16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

As a child, I can remember singing in church the hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”. When it came to the verse that contained the word “fetter”, I can recall how I would pause because I didn’t know what that word meant. Later when I did know the meaning, I thought it a rather odd word to use. I thought we received freedom from sin when we believed. Why would we need to be bound to God? It seemed to be the opposite of what was taught as the gospel.

But the old hymns have rich truth in them. As I sang this hymn in church last Sunday, I realized that it was so true that I need to be bound to Jesus. I need His strength to keep me on the right path and only when my heart is sealed with His, can I follow Him faithfully. And the words of the old hymn became my prayer.

Heavenly Father, O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be; Let that grace now, 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. These things I pray in the name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior forever. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,