In the mid 80’s I was in seminary with Michael Littlefield and his wife LeMei. Shortly after seminary they went as missionaries to Taiwan with OMF International. Since then I have prayed for him, followed him through his missionary letters, and occasionally exchanged personal emails. Michael’s kids are grown, his wife LeMei battled cancer and is now with Jesus. He has remarried, and he has moved from new missionary to Taiwan to President and National Director of OMF (U.S.).
I share this brief history, not to highlight Michael or my relationship to him, but so that when you read what I share from him below, you will know that he has placed Jesus first and has followed him in ways that have brought credit to his Lord and ours. Michael recently wrote to me the following:
As I was preparing to lead a prayer and worship time recently, I was drawn to the treasured hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” The first line reads, “Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace.” As I reflected on the lyrics, I noticed the word here is not praise as I expected, but grace. I don’t know what Robert Robinson was facing when he wrote these words in 1757. He was just 22 at the time; yet he knew that his heart needed to be tuned to God’s grace. It is from those “streams of mercy, never ceasing” that flow “songs of loudest praise.”
Following that prayer time, I headed to a local Christian Coffee shop. It is a creative place for me to listen and write. On this visit, I sat in a different chair, praying about this letter. Slowly my heart focused on what my eyes were seeing—a very large sign on the wall that read “Tune My Heart.” God was reminding me. And I hope reminding you.
God is working in ways we cannot understand. In the midst of encouragement there is the pain of colleagues going through cancer, of tough situations, of seemingly unanswered prayer. It is so easy to get out of tune. Like my guitar, it needs to be tuned daily.
Our hearts are tuned as we remember that God’s grace is limitless, his love is profound, his power is unstoppable, his promises are true, his timing is perfect, the hope he gives is complete. He reminds in subtle ways sometimes; like a sign on the wall of a coffee shop. All we need do is see.
In what ways do you suspect your heart may be out of tune? How would you surrender to God’s tuning in prayer and in changed attitude or action?
His peace,
Stephen