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 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.
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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.
We conclude our journey through this popular hymn which declares the faithfulness of our God, true in every season, experienced by hearts of faith. Let’s think about this.
Thought Bubble
What do you think about when you are not thinking about anything else? What fills your thought bubble when you have time to focus on what is not important? Where does your mind go when you daydream? Whether they are undisciplined, random thoughts, or deliberate, careful ones, your best ones will be those that are about God or lead you toward Him.
Can you confess this with the hymn writer?
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Psalm 139:17-18 ESV
Through both the day and the night, we can have no better thought than to think on Him. How many troubles of mind and soul could be remedied if we practiced this simple truth? Are His thoughts precious to you? Are you resolved to let them fill your mind?
Daydreams and nightdreams, every conscious and unconscious thought all find their value somewhere below Jesus. He is our best thought, and allowing Him to hold that position informs our actions and attitudes both day and night. Tell Him He is your best thought.
RESONATE!
Take a few moments right now to ponder that first question above, “What do you think about when you are not thinking about anything else?” Think of it another way. What fills your thought bubble by default? Now take a few more moments to tell Jesus He is your best thought, and simply allow Him to fill your mind with an awareness of His presence.
Light Bulb
It occurred to me as I began to write about these two images that they are used interchangeably at times, i.e. a light bulb going off in your head as a thought comes that brings clarity. Since there were no light bulbs 1500 years ago when the original text was written it is obvious I am imposing this imagery on the text, but I believe it may be reasonable. What do you think?
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. Psalm 3:5 ESV
His presence is what makes the difference in every circumstance, like a light bulb chasing back the darkness. Being mindful of Him changes the way we address things when we are awake, but it even makes all the difference when we are asleep as well. Ask the Lord to sustain you by pressing back any darkness, particularly in your thought life, with the light of His presence.
His presence makes the difference in every circumstance, whether we are living it or dreaming of it. The terrors evoked by the dark night of the soul are no match for His countenance. The next time you are facing any darkness, maybe right now, try this. Ask the Spirit to shine bright and see if He doesn’t make a difference for you.
Spirit, shine Your brightness into my life.
RESONATE!
Maybe you have had that experience before. You were struggling with some darkness and an awareness of God’s presence ushered in His light. Maybe you have never experienced it, but want to. Is there any struggle you are facing right now. Take a few minutes and simply ask the Holy Spirit to illumine your mind with His radiant presence.
Spirit, thank You for Your being my best thought, day and night. When I am facing darkness, remind me to be mindful of Your presence. Fill my thoughts with an awareness of Your presence. In Jesus name. Amen.
Illuminated Thinking!
Podcast 25.1 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 Vision, O Lord of my heart;
For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. Psalm 26:3 ESV
This entire hymn is a beautiful prayer, starting with these first lines. We acknowledge God as the Sovereign One in our internal workings, and ask that His presence be our guide externally as well. Make this your prayer as we begin to journey through this ancient song.
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ Philippians 3:8 ESV
Be nothing else to me other that what you already are. This acknowledges that we believe He possesses everything we need, we are satisfied in Him, and desire nothing else. How many of our problems would be solved if we rested in this truth? Ask Him to help you today.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Psalm 139:17-18 ESV
Through both the day and the night, we can have no better thought than to think on Him. How many troubles of mind and soul could be remedied if we practiced this simple truth? Are His thoughts precious to you? Are you resolved to let them fill your mind?
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. Psalm 3:5 ESV
His presence is what makes the difference in every circumstance. Being mindful of Him changes the way we address things when we are awake, but it even makes all the difference when we are asleep as well. Ask the Lord to sustain you with the light of His presence.
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 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.
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 When Thought Bubbles Become Light Bulbs appeared first on Resonant 7.
