Archives for January 13, 2019

Devotion

1Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art:
thou my best thought by day and by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

2Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tower,
raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

3Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou, and thou only, first in my heart,
great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.

4Light of my soul, after victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

This hymn writer is a better person than I am. For sure. Sometimes, let's face it, I heed riches. And empty praise. Especially empty praise. I mean, who doesn't love a nice dose of empty praise? Sure beats bitter critique.

Most days my treasure thou art not. My treasures are comfort, stability and The Great British Bake-Off. God is not "thou and thou only" in my heart. God's gotta find God's own room in there between my to-do list and a few other things yet to be determined (it's too soon to commit).

But when the empty praise becomes bitter critique, which it does, and I fail again at my to-do list, which I will — there, still and always, is the great God of heaven. The God of my baptism and yours. The God whose love does not depend on our status or stability. My treasure thou art.