Proverbs 8:17-21 Yah of My Vision
Everyone generally agrees and accepts that God is love, and the Creator loves all His children, but do we love Him in return? Everyone loves ballads, songs about love, and either a newfound or lost love. Songs of hymns are usually someone’s testimony; hymns like “Amazing Grace,” “Blessed Assurance,” and “It Is Well” are a few of my favorites, but recently I have come to love and cherish “Be Thou Vision.” I had no idea the hymn was based on an 8th-century poem called “Slane” and is related to the man we honor on St. Patrick’s Day. Mister Saint Patrich was a 5th-century man who loved the Lord and had a mission; he wanted to teach the people of Ireland, who were Celtic, about Jesus. Mister Saint Patrick wanted to honor the day of Jesus rising from the dead, even if I called it Resurrection Day. King Logaire of Tara made it forbidden to light a fire during a pagan holiday, but Patrick went against the king’s will and lit a candle on Slane Hill. King Logaire was moved by St Patrick’s desire for mercy. Centuries later, a Monk named Dallán Forgaill wrote a poem called Slane, which later became the hymn “Be Thou Vision.” Mister Dallan was going blind, and that experience made him desire a closer relationship with God. The words of the poem are asking the Lord to be his vision, his eyesight so that he can see clearly in the day or at night.
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.
Other parts of the song say the same thing as the words of the book Proverbs: “Please, my heavenly Father, be my wisdom, and let me be Your true son, and we can be as one.
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
The monk’s words then say that a close relationship with Father God is more valuable than worldly treasures like silver and gold. My God is the King of Heaven; He is my victory; the Lord’s heart is my heart; and He will always be my Vision and the Ruler of my life.
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 Heav’n’s Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Most of us have good eyesight or good peripheral vision, but like John Newton’s words from his poem and song, “Amazing Grace,” God’s grace saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now I see, that grace taught to fear God, oh how precious that is when that grace first appears.” Dear brothers and sisters, if you feel you are far from God, if you feel like your vision is a little or a lot cloudy, reach out to the Lord Almighty and ask Him to be your vision, the Lord of your heart. God bless you all. The Lord Jesus loves you, and so do I. His humble bondservant, Samuel Jerry Head.
