Be Thou My Vision

“Where there is no vision from God, the people run wild,

but those who adhere to God’s instruction know genuine happiness.”

Proverbs 29:18 (VOICE)

I read two things this week that inspired me. The first said that who we are is based on our dominant thoughts and desires. The second is a quote by Kevin Eikenberry: “We move toward our future one day at a time. But where we move depends entirely on our vision.” For me, these thoughts directly tie in to our two church-wide studies. In “40 Days of Purpose” we learned that each of us has a unique combination of talents, and that God has a purpose to use these talents to serve others. In “40 Days of Prayer” we are learning how to communicate with God, and that it is through prayer and studying the Word, that we understand God’s will for us. The goal of both studies is to encourage us in our faith journey and assist us in maturing as Christians.

So we need to be honest with ourselves. Who are we today? What consumes our thoughts, and what do our hearts desire? If we say we are Kingdom seekers, but are not pursuing Kingdom goals, we may need to refocus our priorities. Likewise, if our vision is not aligned with God’s plans, we may need to spend more time talking with the Father and discerning a clear direction. The good news is it’s never too late to get it right. God can use our missteps for his good, but we need to do our part. We need to communicate with God through prayer and submit to his will, trusting that our heavenly Father has only good plans for us.

It is believed that the words to today’s hymn could date back as far as the 8th century. Mary Byrne (1880-1931) translated the old Irish text into English in 1905. It was then put into verses in 1912 by Eleanor Hull (1860-1935) and published in her “Poem Book of the Gael.” In 1919, it was published in “The Irish Church Hymnal,” and paired with the hymn tune SLANE. SLANE was written by an unknown composer in honor of St. Patrick. On Easter Sunday in 433, an Irish king, in observation of a Druid festival, prohibited people from lighting fires. St. Patrick climbed Slane Hill and lit a fire, in direct defiance of the king’s decree, to show people that God’s light shines through the darkness. (www.bayviewbiblechurch.org and www.umcdiscipleship.org)

Be Thou My Vision (UMH #451)

Words: Ancient Irish; trans. By Mary E. Byrne, 1905

Music: Trad. Irish Melody (SLANE)

 

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that thou art.

Thou my best thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

 

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;

I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;

Thou and thou only, first in my heart,

Great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.

 

Great God of heaven, my victory won,

May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

We should all be asking ourselves two questions: “Who am I?” and “Where am I going?” We want to be sure we are focused on God, allowing him to show us his vision for our lives, and following the path he sets before us. Are you walking with the Father daily? If you have gotten off track or have lost your way, stop and turn to God, and He will show you the way.

Have a blessed week,