Tune Our Hearts to Sing Thy Grace

There are fewer sounds more beautiful to my ears than the sound of my children singing hymns to the Lord. No matter how little sleep I've had the night before, when I hear their voices lifted in song my heart stirs and awakens to joy. Not just by a small measure, but joy filled up to overflowing.

That's always the case when we take our eyes off ourselves and focus on the Lord. In His presence is fullness of joy. Muddy vision is washed clean. Grumbling hearts have been quieted, and scattered thoughts have been gathered and strewn heavenward. What a blessed way to start the day!

I am learning along with my kids during our choir practice for heaven. Our favorites include: Holy, Holy, Holy; How Great Thou Art; The Doxology; A Mighty Fortress; This Is My Father's World; Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing; and the hymn of all hymns, Amazing Grace. They not only compel us to worship, they also instruct us in sound doctrine.

This morning, as we sang This is My Father's World we sang of our Creator:

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

We sang of His omnipresence:

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

We sang of His sovereignty:

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

As we sang Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, we sang of His grace and mercy:

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 redeeming love.

We sang of His redemption:

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here 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.

We sang to the Author and Finisher of our faith.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, 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.

Jonathan observed, "Mom, when we sing it doesn't sound like a lot of people. It sounds like just one voice." One voice. One accord. One heart. Amen!

May our one voice be a sweet sound in Your ear, Lord. Take joy in what You hear. May it make Your heart glad!

Would you like to join the choir? Read John Piper's excellent thoughts on singing hymns. (Hat tip to Ann for the link.) Fill your hymns treasure chest by visiting the Cyber Hymnal. Read and sing through a wonderful devotional book: Hymns for a Kid's Heart.

"I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." Psalm 9:2