Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:
Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
Be Thou My Vision (6th century)
By: Saint Dallán Forgaill (c. 560 – 640)
Listen to this modern version of this ancient hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics.
Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.
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Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below! It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.
Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.
As we continue our journey through this ancient text and hymn, make each stanza your own by praying through it. Let’s think about this.
Light
What darkness is threatening you today?
Darkness can make us feel isolated and afraid. We can not see which way to go or the dangers around us. It can be paralyzing and terrifying. But…
…if you can identify even the smallest glimmer of light everything changes. You begin to move toward the light, slowly at first and then with increased speed as things become brighter and clearer until finally you are running to the light.
You find rest and comfort. Your fears are dispelled. You can move around in freedom.
God’s presence is such a light, shelter and tower.
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:
…The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 ESV
The mingling of peace and protection in God’s living presence is so beautifully portrayed in this stanza, and particularly this line. He cares for our souls. He also cares for our bodies. When you feel threatened you should run to Him.
His presence also provides Shelter for our souls and a Tower of protection for our lives. And we need those things because there are forces which come against us, but…
…God is for us and with us as we face them.
The darkness has little sway over us when we run to the light of our Lord. Run to Him today. The One who wants to be your Shelter and Tower.
RESONATE!
Ask Him to be your Shelter and Tower. Pray “God, be my Shelter and Tower.” Thank Him in advance for giving your soul shelter and for being your stronghold when your body is threatened.
Strength
So did you do it? Did you ask God to be your Shelter and Tower? Asking for help can make us feel small, and so can looking up. But it does not have to, or at least that does not have to be your last feeling.
When we look heavenward, eyes of faith help us to see that there is more to this life than what we can see with our eyes. In Psalm 8, the writer asks the question when gazing up, “What is man that you are mindful of Him?” before He answers His own question. God has made us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor.
So, don’t hesitate looking up. And when you are left gazing in awe at what you see, speak to the One who made it all. Ask Him to lift you into His presence, to a plane of greater awareness, and power.
Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26 ESV
God is everything we need for this life and the next. Nothing on earth can satisfy like Him, and even our bodies fail us, but He is the Power.
His presence is the real Power behind everything we do. Even when your power fails you, His will not. His is the same power that raised Christ from the dead and ultimately will raise us heavenward to His glorious presence.
RESONATE!
Declare your trust in Jesus to raise you heavenward. Spirit, thank You for being the real Power in my life. Thank the Holy Spirit for being that Power from on high, for today and the day when you rise.
Lord, thank You for revealing to me your desire to be my Shelter and Tower. You have raised my hope to a plane I did not know before I knew you, and yet I know there is so much more I have yet to grasp. Raise my awareness of Your presence, until your raise me into it. In Jesus name. Amen.
Lofty Thinking!
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Podcast 25.3 Transcript
Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Ephesians 6:16-17 ESV
This is from the larger passage in Ephesians which encourages us to pray for the full armor of God. Whatever you are facing today or in this season, ask God to be your shield and sword.
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 ESV
We have no greater honor than to die to ourselves and let Christ live in us. We must strive to find our worth and our delight in Him. Ask the Spirit to reveal to you if you are living by faith in Christ.
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:
…The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 ESV
The mingling of peace and protection in God’s living presence is so beautiful in this stanza. He cares for our souls and our bodies. Thank Him for giving your soul shelter and for being your stronghold when your body is threatened.
Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strengthof my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26 ESV
Everything for this life and the next. Nothing on earth can satisfy like Him, and even our bodies fail us, but He is the Power of our power. Declare your trust in Jesus to raise you heavenward.
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more, with the refrain.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:
Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, Be Resonant.
The post Do You Have a Tower of Power? appeared first on Resonant 7.
Image Attribution
Thou My Soul’s Shelter, Thou My High Tower – https://pixabay.com/photos/lighthouse-sea-sunset-tower-sun-2372004/
Raise Thou Me Heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r – https://pixabay.com/photos/milky-way-universe-person-stars-1023340/
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