Prone To Wander

Photo credit

Most mornings I wake up and within minutes, sometimes seconds, I usually have a song in my heart that I start humming.  This morning I woke up humming the tune to an old hymn that I love.  It kind of summed up how I spent a good portion of my weekend.

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above."

Saturday morning I was challenged, yet again, to take time to read and fill out a Spiritual Evaluation Form.  It had challenging questions where I had to rate myself from 1-10 (1=never and 10= all the time).  Here's an example of some of those questions:

• I pray daily for an increase of love in my heart, soul and mind for God.
• I am aware of and guard against my self-centeredness and the trust I place in myself.
• I live the life of a servant.

After taking the time to truly look deep within at myself by rating each one of the several questions honestly,  I came to the conclusion that I can not do all these things and will never be able to measure up to this standard!  It was right then in the midst of that thought that the Holy Spirit gently reminded me that I was right.  It's not possible for me to do all of this.  There's no way that I, in and of myself, can live a righteous life on my own.  My sinful nature is one that is "prone to wander, prone to leave the God I love."  He reminded me that it is in Christ and Christ alone that I have become righteous.  This brought me to a place of brokenness and repentance before the Lord.  How thankful I am that my God is a God of forgiveness, compassion and restoration.  How great is our God!  "Rejoice in His Salvation!" Psalm 35:9

Note:  One of the best spiritual evaluation forms I've ever read and done myself is located right HERE.  If you are a Christian (and even if you're not) I challenge you to print out this form and go through it with an honest, open heart.  You'll be amazed at what the Lord reveals to you as you work through it!

Also, there are many other evaluation forms (Potential Pitfalls, Heart Attitudes, Marriage, etc.) located right HERE.  

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.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

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.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.