Reflections of a Princess: ... the musing and meanderings of a daughter of the King ...

This song was originally written by Isaac Watts. The version I’ve come to know and love is by Sojourn Music. Their most recent album is a collection of songs adapted or inspired by Isaac Watts hymns called Over the Grace.

I am ashamed conceived in sin I’ve always been.

Born in a world where Adam’s fall corrupts us

Rooted is the seed of death in life’s first breath

The law demands a perfect heart, but I’m defiled in every part

For only your blood is enough to cover my sin

For only your blood is enough to cover me

All this guilt disturbs my peace I find no release

Who will save me from my crime I’m helpless

Behold I fall before your face in need of grace

So speak to me in a gentle voice for in your mercies I rejoice

For only your blood is enough to cover my sin

For only your blood is enough to cover me

Lord create my heart anew (Father come and make us wise)

Only you are pure and true (Lead us away from our demise)

Lord you are the remedy (For only your blood can set us free)

For only your blood is enough to cover my sin

For only your blood is enough to cover me

No bleeding bird, no bleeding beast

No hyssop branch, no priest

No running brook, no flood, no sea

Can wash away this stain from me

For only your blood is enough to cover my sin

For only your blood is enough to cover me

I am ashamed conceived in sin I’ve always been.

Born in a World Where Adam’s fall corrupts us

Rooted is the seed of death in life’s first breath

The law demands a perfect heart but I’m defiled in every part

Our family has been greatly blessed by Sojourn Music. Our church, Crossing, is a church-plant of Sojourn Community Church, and so we sing a lot of Sojourn’s songs during worship. You can hear the song on Sojourn Music’s Facebook page (scroll down and you’ll find it on the left).

What’s one of your favorite hymns in this Lenten season?

Tagged as: forgiveness, Lent, sin, Sojourn Music, worship

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Last week, Gretchen at YLCF shared about the memorable vows of a recent wedding. This was the line,

My heart is the graveyard for your faults and mistakes and by God’s grace I will always do my best to uplift and encourage you in your best.

The part that stuck with me is the imagery of “my heart is the graveyard for your faults and mistakes.” Those faults and mistakes, annoyances and frustrations are (or should be) dead, like the bodies buried in the graves they cannot be dug up and given new life. Isn’t that crazy! That’s how we’re supposed to respond to our husband’s* faults and mistakes.

They can’t be dug up, because even if we did bring up the past there’s no life there–or, at least that’s how it should be. But isn’t that a great reminder of just how completely we should forgive?

So many Scriptures come to mind, but in the end all come to this: we are to forgive to the same extent Christ forgave us. Humbling, isn’t it? We cannot rightfully hold something against another…why? Because on the cross Christ held nothing against us. He bore it all. Everything.

When I think of that forgiving because so much easier. Not because I’m some super-Christian or am just so disciplined, but because I’ve come to know two things

I have been forgiven much.
Because I have been forgiven much, I can hold nothing against another person.

Every annoyance, injustice, fault, or mistake dies at the cross of Jesus. And if I do not forgive, then I do not know how greatly I have been forgiven. I am clueless and haughty, setting myself higher than the forgiveness of God.

In essence, this attitude says God’s forgiveness is not enough. God’s grace doesn’t extend as far as this person or this fault. When, not so much as if, my attitude sways in this direction I have lost sight of the wretchedness of my own condition apart from God and don’t know the weighty gift that the grace of God is.

In Carolyn Mahaney’s Feminine Appeal, she had this to say about responding to our husbands faults:

When we see our husbands as sinners like ourselves–sinners in need of God’s grace and mercy–it strips away any intolerant, critical, or demanding attitude we may be tempted to have. Every husband has areas where he needs to change and grow, but so do we!

This doesn’t mean we excuse or ignore our husbands’ sins. But attentiveness to our own sin will create an attitude of humility that is essential when we need to correct our husbands. (emphasis mine)

Isn’t it really all about growing in grace?

*Really, we should respond this way to anyone’s faults and mistakes.