Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love.

“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!”  Psalm 119:10

Have mercy upon me, O Lord,

Have mercy upon me.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;

Prone to leave the God I love.

Mark well, O my soul, how prone I am to forsake the right way,

Prone to be led astray.

Prone to gain from any wrongdoing.

What shall I become, O my soul, if I wander from the Lord’s commandments?

Soul, have you not noticed that when I wander, I become a waterless spring, a mist driven by storm and strife.

Soul, have you not seen that when I stray, I am easily enticed by sensual passions.

Soul, are you not aware that when I depart, I do so on the promise of freedom only to find myself a slave to corruption.

Soul, do you not know that when I roam, surely I become entangled in the very defilements I have been saved from.

Soul, surely you know that in my wanderings, I am the dog returning to its own vomit, the sow, after washing herself, returning to wallow in the mire. (1 Pe. 2:15-20)

Know then O my soul, that when I wander from form His commandments, I shall be scattered, with none of earth to search for me, none to seek me, none to find me. (Ez. 36:6)

My heart may seek the Lord, O my soul,

but my constant wanderings testify that I have sought Him with less than my whole heart.

Surely in my wanderings I am lost, O my soul! (Ps 119:176)

Hope in the Lord, O my soul, hope in the Lord,

For He who’s love is steadfast and endures forever,

He alone has met me where my sins have taken me, even in damnation and death.

He alone comes to me with the commandments fulfilled for me.

He alone ever seeks me with His whole heart,

He alone brings God to me as Savior.

He alone baptizes me and I am born again.

He alone creates in me a clean heart.

And He alone never wanders from me.

It is by grace, O my soul that I am saved from my wanderings,

It is a gift that I mine through faith in Him, even Jesus Christ.

Have mercy Lord,

With Your whole heart have mercy on me.

 Oh, to grace how great a debtor

    Daily I’m constrained to be;

Let that grace now 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, O take and seal it,

    Seal it for Thy courts above.  Amen.

COME THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING

-pmwl