What Should Our Vision Be? Better still, who should our vision be directed to? The question is always an important one, especially in troublesome times. Of course, the Christian’s vision should always be on Christ. Christ is our Savior, Comforter and Rest.
The problem is we live in a fast-moving sound bite world which competes for our attention. It’s a noisy world often screaming at us – with social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc). We become addicted to news, and then this news sometimes scares us (at least it does me).
Even with the TVs and computers switched off, there are distracting electrical buzzing noises in our homes. We don’t really notice until we lose power for several hours, or if we try to spend some quiet devotional time early in the pre-dawn morning. Even when we look up at a cloudless night sky we can’t really see all stars that should be visible. Light pollution has robbed us of the magnificence of God’s creation.
I often think – with somewhat envy – how many fewer distractions the Puritans had. Even so, Puritans like John Flavel, Jonathan Edwards and Robert Murray M’Cheyne still felt compelled to regularly leave their homes and contemplate God in quiet natural settings away from life’s distractions.
In his book “Formed for the Glory of God” Kyle Strobel advises us to regularly remove (retreat) ourselves away from the world. At these times he suggests using the hymn “Be Thou My Vision” as a prayer help to have our sight set on Christ. This was originally an Irish hymn versified by Eleanor Hull.
Be Thou My Vision is one of my favorite hymns. And one of my favorite renditions of it is by Audrey Assad. It blends beautiful words and theology with God’s creation.
Be Thou My Vision
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.
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.
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