Blest Be the Tie That Binds (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 656)
1 Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the unity of heart and mind
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 From sorrow, toil, and pain,
and sin we shall be free;
and perfect love and friendship reign
through all eternity.
Devotion
Our devotions have pondered God’s caring love in human relationships. This hymn speaks of pouring out in ardent prayer “our fears, our hopes, … our comforts, and our cares.” God cares about each and every part of our lives the relationships we have with one another. Living on this earth in human community there are bound to come times that fill us with shame, regret, and fear. The beauty of being in community with others is that we can “share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear, and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.”
Despite what holds us back, preventing us from living full lives, hope remains! “From sorrow, toil, and pain, and sin we shall be free; and perfect love and friendship reign through all eternity.” My ministry has confirmed that there is nothing in our lives which is hidden from God. Jesus our Savior has come to deliver us from what ails us, free our relationships from the shackles of sin, and bring us into a time of joy with each other.
Prayer
O God, thank you for the gift of human relationships. Help us to see that we are not stuck forever in poor ways of being together. Thank you for redeeming even us. Amen.