Be Thou My Vision

This evening at church we had a guest pastor. The passage was Ephesians 3:14-19, the last part of which says, "...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

He illustrated his point of the "breadth and height and depth" with an actual measuring tape and challenged us to think of Christ's love in literal terms--certainly an interesting perspective. I really caught on to one point in particular though. He said that we often overmeasure our earthly pleasures and undermeasure the love of Christ. I began to think what this realization would look like in my life: if I really understood the intense, all encompassing over reaching love of Christ, non of my earthly idols would stand. I would be so mesmerized by Christ that those "things" would not have the grip on me that they often do. Sigh. It sounds so cut and dry on paper. I suppose that is truly what our struggle on earth is--fighting those idols and distractions and trying to understand God's love. The realization (of his love) is too good to be true, but like any other sinner, I am apt to forget it at times.

We closed with one of my all time favorite hymns: Be Thou My Vision. It is such a beautiful prayer and a great way to start the week.

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.

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.