September 27 | Moments Almanac | Fount
The God Who Pursues a Wandering Heart Robert Robinson and the story behind “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” What happens when the man who writes one of Christianity's most beloved hymns knows all too well the struggle of a wandering heart? Born on September 27, 1735, Robert Robinson was just seventeen when he heard the great evangelist George Whitefield preach a sermon that would change the course of his life. The message, drawn from Matthew 3:7, left Robinson wrestling with his soul for t...
The God Who Pursues a Wandering Heart
Robert Robinson and the story behind “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
What happens when the man who writes one of Christianity's most beloved hymns knows all too well the struggle of a wandering heart?
Born on September 27, 1735, Robert Robinson was just seventeen when he heard the great evangelist George Whitefield preach a sermon that would change the course of his life. The message, drawn from Matthew 3:7, left Robinson wrestling with his soul for three years before he professed faith in Jesus Christ.
In 1758, at only twenty-two years old, Robinson wrote the hymn that would carry his testimony across centuries: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.
His words reveal a profound understanding of both human weakness and divine grace. Robinson knew that loving God doesn't mean we never wander. It means recognizing how desperately we need the Lord to keep our hearts.
In this episode of Moments Almanac, we explore Robinson's remarkable journey from conviction to conversion, the story behind his enduring hymn, and the beautiful assurance found in John 10:27–28.
For anyone who has ever felt spiritually distant, distracted, or discouraged, Robinson's hymn offers a timeless prayer: Lord, take my heart and keep it close to You.
The greatest miracle of grace isn't that we never wander. It's that the Shepherd keeps calling us home.
Take heart. Notice the scattered moments. Share the grace.
Welcome to Moments Almanac for September 27th. This is a time for us to remember the people, places, and events that leave fingerprints on the soul. And on this day in 1735, a boy was born in England who would one day write one of the most beloved hymns in Christian history. His name was Robert Robinson. But before he wrote about grace, he had to discover just how desperately he needed it. At seventeen, Robinson went to hear famous preacher George Whitfield. The sermon was drawn from Matthew 3 7, where John the Baptist confronts those who had come to hear him. O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Robinson, well, he couldn't shake the message. For the next three years he wrestled with his soul. The sermon was over, the crowds had gone home, but the voice of conviction remained. Eventually, Robinson made his confession of faith in Christ. And in 1758, at just twenty two years old, he wrote the words that generations of believers would sing. Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace. Notice that open prayer, not simply, Lord, give me something to sing about, but Lord, tune my heart. Because Robinson understood something about the human heart. It doesn't always stay in tune with the grace it has received. And then later in the hymn, he makes a confession that is painfully familiar to anyone who has followed Jesus for very long. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. There it is. The struggle of the Christian life. We love the Lord, and yet we wander. We receive his blessings and somehow forget the one who gave them. We know the way home and still find ourselves walking in the wrong direction. But Robinson didn't end with that wandering. He offers a prayer. Here's my heart. Oh, take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above. What a beautiful confession of dependence. Lord, I cannot even trust myself to keep my heart. So I'm placing it in your hands. Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I shall give to them eternal life, and they shall never perish. And so today you recognize something of yourself and Robert Robinson. You love the Lord, but you've wandered. You've allowed other voices to drown out the voice of the shepherd. We've all been there at one point, at one time in our lives. But if you listen, he's still calling. And the greatest miracle of grace isn't that we never wander. It's that the shepherd keeps calling us home. And this is Moments Almanac. Thank you for joining me today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow. Until then, take heart. Notice those scattered moments and share the grace.
