“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”
– Come Thou Fount
Come Thou Fount is my favorite hymn. My fondness of it grows even deeper as I get older and continue my walk with Christ. I have it printed and hanging in my home. I’ve prayed through the verses more times than I can count. Almost every Christian could recite the most well-known verses, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.”
There are a million things in this life that fight for our time and attention, yet, there is only one that will give life, truth, and sweet joy. That one thing is Christ.
Bind Thy Heart to Thee
In response to the wandering of our hearts we must do what hymn prompts: bind thy wandering heart to thee.
I’m convinced the most practical way to bind our hearts to Christ is daily bible reading. I’m convinced because I can look back and clearly see the periods where I dropped this discipline.
These periods of time are marked by struggle, hesitation, doubt, and joylessness. If I were in a trial, the weight was heavier. If I were in a happy circumstance, the good times were not nearly as sweet.
The Importance of Reading the Bible
Is it really that important to read the bible? Yes! The importance of reading the Bible comes from what we get out of it. Here are just some of the millions of reasons.
1. Scripture sustains us: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4
2. Scripture guides us: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105
3. Scripture is living and active: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12
4. Scripture equips us: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..” – 2 Tim 3:16
5. Scripture gives grace and peace: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” – 2 Peter 1:2
It is in scripture we will find the answers to hard questions. It is in scripture we will find the character of the God we worship. It is in scripture we will find encouragement to press on in the face of doubt. It is in scripture we will find the stakes that bind our hearts to Christ when they are prone to wander.
So, Read Your Bible.
Our sovereign God has chosen to reveal himself through his scripture. He desires that we know him deeply and that we live in the likeness of Christ. This can only happen through careful and thoughtful meditation on the word of God.
So, every day, before the other million things that fight for your attention take hold, open your bible, and meditate on scripture. Find the peace, joy, and life written in the pages & let them bind you to Christ.
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