Sing To the LORD :

            O Thou Fount of Every Blessing

       I wonder how often we really stop to think about the words of the songs that we sing.  Do we  sing many songs simply out of habit?  I know that sometimes I catch myself singing a memorized song without realizing what it is that I am saying.  Even when we are aware of the words, are we aware of their meaning? Are we aware of the lessons that these songs can teach us? Let's take a specific song for example.  How about O Thou Fount of Every Blessing, by Robert Robinson?

        Let's take this song one piece at a time.

O Thou fount of every blessing,

        When we sing the very first line of this song, are we aware of who we are singing to? What, or who, is the “Fount of every blessing?”  That is where do all our blessings come from? This is, of course,  God. Do you recognize God as the source of all your blessings? Do you thank him for those blessings?

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

        We sing of God's abundant mercy and grace, and the response it draws.  What response does it draw from you?  Here it calls for “loudest praise.” How “loud” can praise be?  Is that your response when you think about the mercy and grace you have been given?   

Teach me ever to adore Thee;

May I still Thy goodness prove,

While the hope of endless glory

Fills my heart with joy and love.

        Do we have that kind of hope?  What response do thoughts of heaven bring to our minds?

Here I raise my Ebenezer,

Hither by Thy help I’ve come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

        What is an “Ebenezer?” For that answer, we must turn to 1 Samuel 7.  There we find a story of the Israelites battling the Philistines.  After the battle, Samuel sets up a stone.  He calls it “Ebenezer.” Samuel's explanation is “Thus far has the LORD helped us.”  Ebenezer means “stone of help.” We, of course, need the Lord's help every day in our journey to our home in heaven.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

        Yes, at one time we were strangers.  We were strangers to God, in that we were sinners.  However, Christ through his blood washed us, and saved us from the danger of hell.  Do we consciously remember that fact when we sing this song?

Oh, to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be;

How great is it to be a debtor to grace? Who would you rather owe a debt to? One who makes you pay every penny back, or one who erases the debt without ANY payback? Do we remember that the one to whom we are indebted also pays off our debt daily?

Let thy goodness like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee:

This section is another one I think we don't always understand.  What is a fetter? Without knowing, the word sounds mild enough.  However, the dictionary describes a fetter as “A chain or shackles for the ankles or feet.” Shackles sound much more serious.  How tightly is your heart bound to God? Is it chained to Him?

Never let me wander from thee,

Never leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

        What are we really asking God for here? A seal is much more than tape or glue.  A seal is a mark ... a mark of ownership.  This is a request for God to put his royal mark, unique to Him, on our hearts.

        I hope this will provide you with some new thoughts the next time you sing this song.

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

Psalm 95: 1,2 (NKJV)

Article by: Matt Schmidt