When I was 6 or so years of age, my father got transferred to Hawaii (yea, Navy!). My brother was two going on three and he was a mover and a shaker. He never sat still, always on the go.

Our mode of transportation was a special cruise ship for military families. It was a lot of fun, but my folks were very afraid that our sweet toddler would squirm out of their reach and slide between the railings around the ship. So, before we boarded, my dad made this cute little harness for my brother, and it had a fancy cord attached.

He was prone to wander, but my folks made sure he was lovingly fettered to them.

If you think about it, there is a real spiritual temptation for all of us to wander off. And that phrase, “prone to wander” comes to mind. It comes from a very well-known hymn entitled, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”

It was written by a pastor named Robert Robinson in 1758. After hearing a message from the great preacher, George Whitefield, Robinson was “haunted blessedly” and came to surrender his life to Christ. But he always remembered his own tendency to spiritually drift and roam from the tenets of his faith.

In part, the lyrics of that hymn say, “Come Thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace. Streams of mercy never ceasing call for songs of loudest praise…. Oh, 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 oh take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above.”

We all encounter the temptation to wander. The pull is real. The very best among us drift from time to time and allow our spiritual zeal to wane.

So, this week, let’s join the sentiment of Robert Robinson and hum this old hymn. Let’s intentionally tune our hearts to Jesus and openly ask for the help we need to remain attached to the vine (John 15).

Because we too are prone to wander…