Thou hast promised to receive us, 
Poor and sinful though we be; 
Thou hast mercy to relieve us, 
Grace to cleanse, and pow’r to free: 
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus, 
Early let us turn to Thee; 
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus, 
Early let us turn to Thee 

 hymnary.org 

My husband and I moved to North Carolina for a while following college. I had never driven in big cities. I had a little experience with Shreveport, Louisianna, but that was it. On our way to North Carolina, I had managed somehow to drive through Atlanta, Georgia, but that’s another story for another time. After we arrived, we needed to return our U-haul to Raleigh. So, he drives the truck, and I drive our car. We get separated at a traffic light. I am driving around an unfamiliar town trying to find a U-haul truck. End of story, we are re-united by God’s grace, and everything is fine. The point is that one wrong turn, one traffic direction was all it took for us to become separated.  

How easy it is in our lives for us to become separated from our loving God because of one wrong turn. One wrong step. One bad choice. This is why this third stanza of this hymn is so beautiful. He has promised to receive us even though we are poor and sinful. Even though we have made a mess of our lives, he will still embrace the one sheep who wanders away.  Isaiah 53:6 says 

All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all To fall on Him. 

I don’t know what you are going through today or where you have been. I just know that he stands ready to bring you back into the fold. He is ready to receive you and wash you clean. Don’t wait until you think you can clean yourself up; it never works. We can’t clean ourselves enough. If you made that wrong turn and lost your way, the shepherd is searching for you. Just stop. Stop running from him. Run to the shepherd who loves you and gave himself for you. He has grace to cleanse and power to free.  

All for One 

Angela