Turn

October 8th, 2012

Once more, sermon notes had found me a few days before the coming week’s sermon. It was a surprisingly-difficult passage: a section in Isaiah (5:1-7 and 11:1) wherein God’s land was suffering hard times because its people were being judged. Yet the story ended with God’s promise that fruit would one day grow again from what was then a dry stump with no life left – the “tender shoot of Jesse” would spring forth. This was a way of saying that Christ would redeem all the promises left forsaken by God’s people earlier.

The sermon was examining what our hearts should do, when we find ourselves engulfed in the barrenness of our own sin’s wake. What are we to say when all has failed because we’ve turned from the God Who created us? This God Who knows our hearts more than we ever could – He’s just waiting for us to turn back to Him. 

This song tells of such a journey: being far from God and learning to turn. Also, I’d wanted to note the highest purpose in turning – not to reap the blessings of His hand, not even to beg His grace, but simply to bring pleasure to the heart that gave us life. God is never more honored than when we turn from our fallenness and brokenness to embrace Him again.

“For the Lord takes pleasure in His people. He will beautify the humble with salvation.” -Psalm 149:4 NKJV

Turn

I have grieved Your heart; I have stolen part
Of the joy that was intended.
Every scoffing glance, every squandered chance,
Every quarrel left unended,
And I feel Your countenance fall and the smile of Heaven fade.
Help me turn to kiss Your tears away.

When I break Your heart, may it break mine, too,
‘Til Your sin-scarred hands draw me back to You.
May the famished fields and the wells run dry
Remind me my strength is not mine.
Let me turn; let me turn,
Not for blessing or for grace
But just to see the pleasure on Your face.

When I’ve hearkened back to my foolish pride,
When I’ve gone against all I know inside,
When the valley’s dark ‘cause my back’s to You,
Don’t let me try to blame You
For something You did not do…
Let me turn; let me turn,
Not for blessing or for grace,
But just to see the pleasure on Your face.

…And when I feel Your countenance fall and the smile of Heaven fade,
Help me turn; help me change.  Help me yearn to obey.
Bring me home… to kiss Your tears away.

Written: April 18th, 2012
©2012  Amy Salter Rutherford

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