The Grace Fetter

There is nothing so great as a daily self-assessment.  That is one of the great graces of a personal time alone with God every morning.   It is not a mystical spiritual deal even though it often is, it is more like a tune-up, an exercise regiment, a diagnostic of all my systems.  The sincerity of it is what always keeps me coming back, my old ford me is not judged but more like greased, oiled, and polished.  And what is the wax?  It is the grace polish!  It is that understanding of God that says to me, “Lee, I know you are human, and I am going to give you enough of Me to make it through today.”  And then my heart leaps to a line long forgotten but oft sung in those old country churches of my past… "O to grace how great a debtor..."

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wand’ring from the face of God;

He, to save my soul from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter,

Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee

Teach me, Lord,. Some rapturous measure,

Meet for me Thy grace to prove,

While I sing the countless treasure

Of my God’s unchanging love.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;

Prone to leave the God I love:

Take my heart, oh, take and seal it

With Thy Spirit from above.