Tuesday, April 30, 2024  

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Today's Hymn
“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. 

translation by Mary E. Byrne 
Hymn 450, Glory to God
verse 1

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Reflection

I find warmth and comfort in this hymn. I am sure many others do too. In this first verse, the author asks the Lord to, “be my vision.” Later, the author exclaims, “Thy presence is my light.” Light, Webster defines, is that which makes vision possible. So often the Bible speaks of the importance of light. From Genesis 1:3 — God’s proclamation, “Let there be light” — to John 8:12, where Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness; but have the light of life.”

The first thing I reach for upon waking from a nightmare is the light switch, so that I can be comforted by seeing what is truly there. At times in my life I have felt the darkness — in some relationships, in the loss of loved ones, in the feeling of being “on the outside” as an African American in corporate America when there were no others like me in the room. Many of us have experienced the darkness in our own ways. Thinking of our Lord Jesus as the Light has always brought comfort to me in dark times, “by day or by night,” as the hymn goes.

With the challenges of our world today, I often hear expressions of self-doubt, anxiety, exhaustion, or even submission as many may feel surrounded by the darkness. This hymn reminds us that when we lean on the Lord whose presence is our light, we will have the vision to see what is truly there — that is, God’s love, God’s grace, forgiveness, protection, and God’s saving power. There is wonderful comfort in the presence of God’s light.

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Prayer
Lord of my heart, may your presence continue to be my light. Let your light relieve me of my fears and burdens. Day or night, may I never forget to lean on you to bring light to my dark times. Amen.

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Written by Ken Gaines, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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