Blest Be The Tie That Binds

The hymn by John Fawcett “Blest Be The Tie That Binds” has the following wonderful verses available in the public domain.

1 Blest be the tie that binds

 our hearts in Christian love;

 the fellowship of kindred minds

 is like to that above.

2 Before our Father’s throne

 we pour our ardent prayers;

 our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,

 our comforts and our cares.

3 We share our mutual woes,

 our mutual burdens bear,

 and often for each other flows

 the sympathizing tear.

4 When we are called to part,

 it gives us inward pain;

 but we shall still be joined in heart,

 and hope to meet again.

5 This glorious hope revives

 our courage by the way;

 while each in expectation lives

 and waits to see the day.

6 From sorrow, toil, and pain,

 and sin, we shall be free;

 and perfect love and friendship reign

 through all eternity.

This song speaks of prayer, fear, hope, care, comfort, woe, pain, courage, sorrow, love, and friendship. As there has been sickness in our home for several weeks and also much sickness with family and friends; I was drawn to this song, quite out of the blue. I won’t overthink the reason behind this song crossing my mind, but just present this post and move on to the next project.

No doubt the author who penned this song in the late 18th century truly experienced the message of the hymn.

I guess the point of my rambling today mirrors verse 1; “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.” As Christians, we need each other more now than at any time that I can recall. We need to support each other in the Word, prayer, encouragement, friendship, availability, and simply being a good listener sometimes. 

The Bible says this about pure religion in James 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

Ask yourself, “does God only want me concerned for the fatherless and widows?” Since James is talking to Christians about faith in God is shown through our actions – through our words, shown in our purity and character and faith shown by our prayer lives, consider this:

Based on James, I’d have a very hard time implementing pure religion unless I put my faith in visible action in the other areas and responsibilities of a Christian’s life. Thus, we better learn to take care of each other inside the church before we worry about those outside the church. We are fitly joined together by design but the sinews of strength will weaken unless we build each other up through the gifts God has given us to be charitably shared. Remember the tools and gifts we have are on loan to us from God.

Is there a Christian who needs you in their life today?

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