Here's my heart Lord take and seal it!

Come thou fount of every blessing 
Tune my heart to sing thy grace 
Streams of mercy never ceasing 
Call for songs of loudest praise 
Teach me some melodious sonnet 
Sung by flaming tongues above 
I'll praise the mount I'm fixed upon it 
Mount of thy redeeming love 

Here I raise my Ebenezer 
Hither by thy help I come 
And I hope by thy good pleasure 
Safely to arrive at home 
 Jesus sought me when a stranger 
Wondering from the fold of God 
He, to rescue me from danger 
Interposed His precious blood 

O 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, O take and seal it, 
Seal it for thy courts above

Been reflecting on the words to this old hymn over the past few weeks and really resonating with the imagery they lead me to.  Music, lyrics, melodies and rhyme can push home theological ideas with great potency. The idea of tuning my heart to sing God's grace, and being taught to focus by song makes sense to me - I see that I get out of tune... kind of like my guitar, needing an adjustment quite often to be back on the right path.

Remembering that Jesus sought me when a stranger, when I was wondering from the fold of God is key for me, because I realise so many times I turn away again, but Jesus comes to find me, it's not like I'm written off until I perform some pious act to make myself worthy again. Because I am prone to wander... I do feel that.. I am prone to leave the God I love.  So the imagery of Jesus continuing to seek me out brings a sense of peace and comfort that is saturated in His love.  And so like a 'fetter' (a chain used to tie and bind) I embrace His goodness pulling my heart back and connecting it to Him once again.

So every time I sing or hear this song, the final lines become an offering anew... take my heart again Lord, forgive me, renew me, seal me to your plans and will once again.