Tag: change

Tune me again Lord, and again . . .

“Tune it up. It’s flat.”
When an instrument’s out of tune, it  brings about a stop. Before moving on, it’s got to be tuned.
So, with a turn of a peg, or a bit more complicated maneuver, an instrument is brought back to position, that harmony may once again be brought to the ear.
If it were only that easy for the human race.
Our hearts go out of tune. Sometimes by our own hard strums, but also by outward bumps and hits.
But who can tune a heart?
We try, and we fail. The task is too hard.
Words were penned way back in 1757. Robert Robinson wrote a familiar hymn. A turning of the head, can prove to any stubborn heart—remedy and hope for today.
Read aloud, or sung alone, there’s something supernatural when we desperately need a new tune.
Let it go, and let the sound out.  Speak with me old words, that perhaps they are our help to turn our head and tune our heart.
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 unchanging love
A battle rages.  Our eyes haven’t been fixed upon the mount. We forgot that with God, streams of mercy never cease. Our eyes haven’t sung melodious psalms. We forgot that unlike any man, God’s has unchanging love.
 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” Luke 22:31,32 speaks clearly words that we feel are our reality.
The hymn. The hymn. Let’s remind ourselves of God’s faithful presence and peace:

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here there 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

Our hearts can’t believe in any love like this. So we will continue to read aloud, our remedy, God’s bliss:

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let that grace now, 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

God, help us!  Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.
Here is the turn that will bring back the harmony again:
“Here’s my heart Lord,
take,
and seal it,
seal it for Thy courts above.”
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” Luke 22:31,32. 

7th Century BC words…timeless, and written for today!

This is my prayer for all the children of the world, red, brown, yellow black, and white for they are all precious in His sight… today, yes today,… leaving the past behind, and the fears of tomorrow blind-that we choose to take a breath right now –
whether we can pay the electric bill or not, or whether the love of your life is fighting to live, perhaps you are alone so much of the time, or you are searching for work at this very time- no mater the circumstance,… ‘whatever befall’-
that we would surrender our hearts and our minds for even just a moment and let the Good Lord be our only Vision.   The Father in Heaven will give  you His ear, God’s word is True: “Draw near to God, and He’ll draw near to you.”(James 4:8).
Take a breath and speak or even sing, these timeless words written for you and me  – way back in the 7th Century BC. Don’t look at me like I’m crazy, make the choice to ‘put a new song in your mouth’, Psalm 40 verse 3! Just ‘do it’ and find the our Lord is Faithful and Able and Present at THIS time! He inhabits hearts that praise hIm, let us choose to PRAISE and give Him the whine!
God is Good, and He’s knows your name.Let us take a breath and speak words that change- sad hearts and weak knees to hope and strength and …peace:
“Be Thou my vision, Lord of my heart. Not be all else to me, save that Thou art! Thou my best thought, by day or by night. Waking or sleeping Thy presence my Light.”
“Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word. I ever with Thee, and Thou with me Lord. Thou my great Father, and I, Thy true son. Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee…one!”
“Be Thou my battle-shield. Sword for my fight! Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight. Thou my souls shelter, Thou my High Tower. Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power, of my Power!”
“Riches I heed not. Nor man’s empty praise. Thou mine inheritance now and always! Thou and Thou only…First in my heart, High King of Heaven, my Treasure, Thou Art!”
High King of Heaven, my victory won! May I reach heaven’s joys, bright heaven’s SON! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall…Still be my Vision, O Ruler of All!”
A hymn, and a Psalm…yes, this is the remedy for CALM:

Psalm 40. For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
    and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
    out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
    and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
    They will put their trust in the Lord.

4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
    who have no confidence in the proud
    or in those who worship idols.
5 O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
    Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
    You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
    I would never come to the end of them.

6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
    Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand[a]—
    you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then I said, “Look, I have come.
    As is written about me in the Scriptures:
8 I take joy in doing your will, my God,
    for your instructions are written on my heart.”

9 I have told all your people about your justice.
    I have not been afraid to speak out,
    as you, O Lord, well know.
10 I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
    I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
    of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

11 Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
    Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles surround me—
    too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
    I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
    I have lost all courage.

13 Please, Lord, rescue me!
    Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
14 May those who try to destroy me
    be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
    be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
    for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”

16 But may all who search for you
    be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
    repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
17 As for me, since I am poor and needy,
    let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
    O my God, do not delay.

Yes, we can say, “He has put a new song in my heart! I am changed for this moment. And then when I get fretful again, “Dear Lord, Be Thou my Vision, …time and time again!