Be Thou My Vision

When A Hymn Sticks in Your Mind...



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.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

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.

Someone mentioned this old hymn yesterday. I found myself humming it on the trail through the poplars on the Sunday afternoon walk. I found myself humming it again as I drove my in-laws home from their dinner out. Then I heard my 96 year old father-in-law humming along with me. My mother-in-law commented: "I love that hymn, Aunt Jess used to play it on the piano." We tried to sing as much as we could remember as we walked from the garage back to the house. I looked up the Lyrics [click to read] this morning.