Be Thou My Vision

     One of my favorite hymns is "Be Thou My Vision" written in the 8th century by Dallan Forgail.  The words speak of keeping our eyes on the Lord and the melody is hauntingly beautiful:
 " Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

The serenity of Manatee Springs

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."
     Singing this hymn reminds me of the instruction that Jesus gave on "The Sermon on the Mount".  In talking with believers about where they are to set their affections, whether on earth or in heaven, He says in verses 22-23:  "The eye is the lamp of the Body.  So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"  In a previous verse, the Lord just told those who were listening that where their treasure was their heart would also be.  However, it starts with the eyes for this is where we see things and can come to lust after them.
     In the footnote to these verses the authors of "The Reformation Study Bible" write these words of instruction:  "The good eye looks to God as its 'master' and fills the person with the 'light' of God's will.  The bad eye looks to 'treasures on earth' and admits only the 'darkness' of greed and self-interest.  The person's whole life will be determined by the kind of 'light' the 'eye' lets in. "  When our focus is on God and His kingdom, our life is filled with light and guidance.  However, if we look with covetousness on the treasures of this life only, our outlook is filled only with this world that is full of darkness.
     My husband is an eye doctor.  He routinely examines eyes for the development of cataracts which is the loss of transparency in the lens of the eye.  When a cataract is fully matured, you cannot see well.  I can vouch for that with our dog Roscoe who has full-blown cataracts and can no longer see.  This is the reason he fell in the pool and nearly drowned a few weeks ago.   If those cataracts were removed and an implant put in its place, he would be able to see again.  In humans, we routinely see this done to improve their ability to see clearly.
     With a focus on God and His Word, we keep our eyes clear so we can behold His glory through the truth of His Word.  This is our goal as believers.  The more He is our vision in life we need never worry about stumbling in the darkness.  Are your eyes focused on God as your master?  Are you seeking His will in all you do?  If so, your vision will allow the light of His truth to fill you.  As the hymn says, "Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart"!  May this be our prayer day and night so we do not stumble in the darkness of sin and greed.  Selah!

Let Your Light Shine

     I am a candle lover from the word "go".  Anyone who comes to visit my home soon sees an abundance of candles on every table.  Their warm glow is relaxing and the fragrances are delectable.  Plus
they are a big help when storms and hurricanes come our way.  
     In 2004 when we experienced three hurricanes, no one in my family complained about my many candles as it was the only light we had at night.  Three days without electricity meant candlelight meals and conversations.  When we blew out the candles to go to bed, I have to say the darkness was complete since our entire neighborhood had no electricity or street lights.  It was an eerie feeling to say the least.  

The Disney World Electric Light Parade

     Perhaps this is why the Lord emphasized the importance of shining our light in the darkness all around us in this world.  Matthew recorded the Lord's Words in his Gospel when he wrote in 5:14-16:  "You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
     We are meant to shine dear friends!  When God lights the fire of His call in our hearts and we respond to His invitation to salvation, we become  a new light in this world.  We are to dispel the darkness by revealing a whole new way of living which will bring glory to the Lord.
     Anyone who has ever seen the Disney World Electric Light Parade will tell you how spectacular the sights and sounds are.  All the street lights of Disney are darkened so that the electric displays on the floats are magnified.  It is amazing to behold.  I never grow tired of seeing this.  In the same way, we are to shine, sparkle, and act as beacons to the lost.  Our lives should clearly point the way to salvation for those stumbling in the darkness of their sin.
     In practical terms, this means that wherever we are in a job, in school, at home, or with friends, we are to be a light in that place for the sake of Christ.  I frequently hear people complain about the folks they work with or go to school with who do things which they believe are wrong.  However, their solution is to quit and go somewhere else.  This may be contrary to the very purpose that God has allowed them to be in that position.  God has sent us as ambassadors to share our faith, to stand our ground, to shine for His glory.  We cannot do that if we are hiding our light under a bushel for fear we will be laughed at if we speak up.  Even if we change jobs or find a different school, this will not change the fact that we live in
a world that is lost and dying.  A new job or a new school will ultimately have its own problems.  What will bring change is our witness shining in contrast to the sin around us.  Our call in this life is to be men and women of character reflecting God's glory as a result of our good works.

Disney World Electric Light Parade

     I cannot imagine an evening without the soft glow and fragrance of my candles.  They make such a difference in the atmosphere of our home.  In similar manner, we need to remember how we can change the atmosphere at work, at home, or play by shining the light of Christ and being His sweet fragrance to others.  May our lives radiate the glory of our Savior in all that we do so they may be drawn to Christ.  Selah!


I welcome your thoughts and comments here my friends.  Please leave a word of encouragement so others might also be edified.                                                                        

What Type of House Do You Live In?

     My husband and I start our days several times a week with a stroll through our neighborhood.  We may walk for a mile or two along the streets and enjoy the cool, quiet moments of the morning praying, talking, and simply observing nature.  On more than one occasion, I noticed something as we went along that made me sad.  We would see one very neat, well cared for home and next to it would be a house that almost looked abandoned.  The grass was high, the shrubs were out of control and the house looked like it needed serious attention.  In this economy, I can only conclude that the bank may have foreclosed on the home owners or that someone had passed away and the house had been left for relatives to decide how to dispose of it.  However, it was such a glaring difference between the appearance of homes on the same street.  This wasn't an isolated case either.  There are a number of such contrasts throughout the area that we walk.  I thought to myself that certainly a prospective home buyer would never be attracted to a run down, unkempt property compared to the nicely kept home next door.  Then, it struck me.  Isn't this the same kind of distinction that the world should see between believers and unbelievers?

     Jesus spoke these words to the disciples in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew5:13-16):  "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."  These descriptions portray what believers are to be in this dark world in which we live.  We are to be light and salt adding flavor and illuminating the way to live according to the Word of God.  Like the neatly kept homes I walk by, we are to be attractive by reflecting Christ to a hurting, sin-sick world.  There should be a contrast between the way we live and the way unbelievers live just as there is a contrast between well kept homes and abandoned decaying ones.  So what does it mean to be salt and light?
     When our lives are committed to Christ, we have several important tasks.  First, we are His ambassadors to this world.  We are called to tell others the Good News of Jesus Christ, His salvation and His kingdom. (John 17:18; Matt. 24:14).  Our light shines when we reflect this call and serve others in their needs as Christ has served us.  What a difference this makes!  The world does not do this.  However, we must be on guard that we do not fall prey to materialism, the indifference towards God and the pursuit of pleasure or status that drives this society.  We are in this world, but we are not to be of this world.  Our life is a pilgrim's journey as we pass through this world to our home with God.  During our lifespan, then, we are to make a difference by shining for Christ...living a life to His glory in obedience.
Jesus calls us to listen to others, empathize with them, care for them, bind up their wounds, but not to fall into their practices.  Instead, we are to use our opportunities of service to demonstrate His love and be able to share our faith that those lost in sin may hear about the Savior.

     Jesus also told us to be salt in this world.  One of the properties of salt is as a preservative.  As believers, we are to hinder the corruption of this world.  Our lives need to demonstrate morality, good stewardship of our resources and the earth's resources, as well as love for our neighbor.  Deeds of mercy and kindness do not go unnoticed when done with a heart full of God's love.  In addition, we have the opportunity to demonstrate a good "work ethic" which further demonstrates our desire to fulfill God's call on our lives.  It is definitely a good witness to others when we perform on the job not to please men but to please God.  This definitely stands out and brings glory to the Lord.  We can transform our culture around us by living for Christ in all that we do.
     Our job is to illuminate our world and to be the salt that helps to preserve godly conduct.  The Lord has graciously chosen us unworthy vessels to pour out His blessing of love upon.  Yet, it does not stop there.  We are then, in turn, to carry it to those around us and share His news of salvation.  This is why we are here that we may bloom where He has planted us.
     Somehow, God always seems to speak to my heart through analogies and I could not help but see the tremendous contrast between the houses that were well kept and those that were left to decay.  Our world is like that.  We must be living in a house fully dedicated to Christ so that our light may shine brightly.  People will notice, and they will ask what makes us so different.  This is when we have the privilege of telling them about a Savior who offers us a new life of forgiveness from our sins.  Lets get busy and look at our lives and remove anything that keeps us from shining brightly or being salt in this hurting world of ours.  Selah!


What areas has God called you to work on?  I welcome your insights and words of encouragement.  Please feel free to leave them here.