Woodhaven Baptist Church

24 March 2003

Dear Friend,

My favorite hymn is "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." Growing up, I thought it was kind of boring, slow moving with high fluentin' words. I much preferred the songs I could understand like "Jesus Loves Me", "Joy to the World" and "His Name is Wonderful". These songs are still precious to me, but when I was seventeen, I had a crisis of faith. I knew what was right and how I was supposed to live, but I just kept doing wrong. "For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." Romans 7:19.

I felt like if I'm really saved, then why do I struggle so much to live like God wants me to. My prayer life stopped. My Bible reading stopped. I was ashamed to face God. I finally talked to Him. I explained why I didn't want to talk to Him. It was because I knew no good dwelt in me, and I wasn't worth His love. He told me in that still small voice, that I was right. On my own, I was not worth His love. I could never clean myself up for Him where I deserved His love. That was the whole reason He sent His Son to die for me. The words to "Come Thou Fount" made sense to me then. "O to grace how great a debtor, Daily I'm constrained to be! Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter, Bind my wand'ring heart to Thee: 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."

Are you still trying to live life by your strength? Or have you come to the point of total dependence on the Lord? You cannot clean or fix yourself up for Him. Only He can bring the cleansing flood. Only He provide the strength to overcome and carry on. Only He can guide to righteous living.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.

Is there a burden to following Christ? Yes, Jesus tells us that, but His burden is easier than the world's, and He carries us while we are carrying the burden. Always remember that the Creator of the universe loved you so much that He would rather die than to live without you. "Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wand'ring form the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood."

* "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" lyrics were written by Robert Robinson.

With love,

Pastor Scott Patz

[Home] [Welcome] [More information] [Services] [Devotional] [Previous Devotionals]

Return to homepage

© Woodhaven Baptist Church 2005

Last updated: 16 June 2005