God's Grace

Yes, I'm still reading J.I. Packer's Knowing God.  It's just so full of truths and insights that it's not a book I want to rush through. While reading it last night I came across a really touching hymn that he shares on his chapter focusing on the Grace of God. He doesn't give the name of the hymn, but the writer is Isaac Watts. I thought the words were beautiful and deep, full of meaning, so I figured I'd share it this morning with all of you :)

But there's a voice of princely grace
Sounds from God's holy Word;
Ho! ye poor captive sinners, come,
And trust upon the Lord.

My soul obeys the sovereign call,
And runs to this relief;
I would believe thy promise, Lord,
Oh, help my unbelief.

To the blest fountain of thy blood,
Incarnate God, I fly,
To wash my soul from scarlet stains,
And sins of deepest dye.

A guilty, weak, and helpless worm,
Into thy hands I fall;
Thou art the Lord, my righteousness,
My Saviour, and my all.
 
~ Isaac Watts

I love how he uses the words; run, fly, fall...when he describes himself coming before God. He captures well the desperation of the sinner to be redeemed and to seek the solace and security of God. To be able to run to our God, to fly to Him, to fall at His throne just speaks so much of the trust that the redeemed have in God...I mean we sure aren't running or flying or falling at the feet of a God we fear is going to smite us with His wrath. We know the price has been payed, we know, in our humility that God gave up His perfect son for us...imperfect sinners that will always fall short in our attempts of perfection. He is the God  who works through us to give us the strength we need and without Him we are but a shell of who we are meant to be. He shows that it is essential to be made humble, to admit our weaknesses and fraility, our humanity, to be made whole.

Let's be empowered by God's strength and spirit today and come before Him in humility, confessing our wrongdoings and our weaknesses. Let's be lifted up by His spirit and made whole in a world that continually batters and assaults us with temptations, trials and suffering.

Thomas Keating once said: The winds of Grace are blowing all the time, and it is up to us to raise our sails.

Let's lift our sails today and be carried by the winds of God's grace, may He take us far and may, through His Grace, we bring Him much glory and honor and praise.

~blessings