CHRISTIAN LIFE >> Guidance
SDAH 547
Be Thou my Vision,
O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me,
save that Thou art
Text
1
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.
2
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.
3
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.
4
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.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(b) 1 Cor 1:30; 1 Cor 3:16
Author
Versified by Eleanor Hull, 1912 (1860-1935)
Translator / Paraphrase
Mary Byrne (1880-1931)
Performance Suggestions
Unison
Text Source
8th century Irish
Year Published
1905
Copyright
Words from The Poem Book of the GAel, edited by Eleanor Hull, by permission of the Editor’s Estate and Chatto & Windus. Arrangement from the Revised Church Hymnary 1927 by permission of Oxford University Press.
Theme
GUIDANCE
Hymn Tune
SLANE
Metrical Number
10.10.9.10.
Arranged
David Evans (1874-1948)
Alternate Harmony
SDAH 320
Get the hymn sheet in other keys here
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Notes
Get to know the hymns a little deeper with the SDA Hymnal Companion. Use our song leader’s notes to engage your congregation in singing with understanding. Even better, involve kids in learning this hymn with our homeschooling materials.
The hymn lyric says, “Be Thou my wisdom, be Thou my true word”. Having this kind of prayer in our hears will enable us to learn to depend all our questions to God and put our trust in Him. (Lesson 8, 4th Quarter 2020 -Wednesday, Wise Men and Women, 11/18/2020)
Oftentimes when God wants to strengthen our faith in Him, He gives us a vision of what He wants us to be by His love and grace. Why not pray for a vision of His love and grace that we may all be loving and gracious like Him. (Lesson 4, 2nd Quarter 2021 -Tuesday, From Abraham to Abraham, 4/20/2021)
How can we ever make God first in our thinking? Only when He takes first place in our hearts. Then it is that He will be our constant vision, waking or sleeping, and our treasure above all. (Lesson 4, 2nd Quarter 2023 -Sunday, Fear God, 4/16/2023)
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