Exegeting the Hymns #85 - Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou My Vision
w/m - Traditional

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 my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King 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.

Be thou my vision is a 6th century hymn that has become the 7th most popular hymn of all time. It combines everything that makes for a timeless classic for the church, a beautiful Irish melody that you cannot get our of your head as well as a great blend of theology and supplication.

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. Although the lyrics may seem a little ancient in their phrasing (or a little “Yoda” for those of you that need a pop culture reference), a little time spent reading through them will make for a wonderful prayer. It is the singular focus on God as the guide and director of our heart that makes this hymn so powerful. The worshiper calls on God to be the only source of light and direction in his life.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one. God is our source of wisdom, His Word, the one source of perfect knowledge. When we are His, in Christ, He is our Father and He loves us as His Children. He indwells us and we are one with Him forever. There is no greater, safer, more secure place to be.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise. Thou mine inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art. Boy, there sure are a lot of things in this world to draw our eyes away from God. A lot of other circumstances, both pleasurable and distasteful can become our “vision” if we are not careful. Riches can be a blessing or a curse. Man’s praise can spur us on to greater ministry, or make us focus on self. Nothing this world has to offer can match the eternal legacy of faithfulness to Christ.

High King 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. Who can compare to God? It seems like such a rhetorical question, but is it really? While we would never actually make a list of things we believe should govern our walk above our Creator and Lord, we often live as though God should take a back seat sometimes. May it never be. What we do in service for our King has eternal reward. What we do for our own pleasure will burn up at the judgment seat. Whatever we face, good or bad in this world, let our hearts cry out to God for guidance, help, and to forever be our vision.

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