Be Thou My Vision

Pastor Gary Oser

As part of my daily devotions, I usually read the story of a hymn. As I read the stories as to how and why the hymns were written, it gives me a greater appreciation for them.

A hymn story I read recently was about the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.” My daughter-in-law sang this hymn as she rocked my grandchildren when they were babies. I will never forget hearing thousands of men sing this hymn at a Promise Keepers meeting.

We like to talk about some of the hymns which have survived hundreds of years. This one has them beat. We don’t know for sure who wrote it, but it is believed to have been written by an Irish missionary from the county of Donegal sometime during the 7th or 8th centuries. He was heard to sing spiritual songs that had never been heard before.

One of the things you should notice from the hymn are the titles for God: Lord of my heart (Is God the Lord of your heart?), my Wisdom, my true Word, my great Father, High King of heaven, heaven’s bright Sun and Ruler of all. God is the Ruler over all things and “…will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

I would like to emphasize just a few words from the hymn.

Can you say as the hymn does that God is your best thought by day or by night and that waking or sleeping His presence is your light? Can you say as the hymn does that God only is first in your heart and your treasure so that you don’t need earthly riches and man’s empty praise? Is your desire to continue to faithfully serve God and to reach heaven’s joy whatever befall?

May God be the One on Whom we focus our attention and give our best to serve until as the hymn says, “I reach heaven’s joys.”

“Be Thou My Vision” has to be one of the oldest known hymns, but it is timeless in the great truths it shares with us and the encouragement it gives us to keep our focus on God.