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.
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 and I, Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father and 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;
O King of glory, my treasure Thou art.
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart;
O King of glory, my treasure Thou art.
4
O King of glory, my victory won;
Rule and reign in me ’til Thy will be done;
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall;
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Rule and reign in me ’til Thy will be done;
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall;
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
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United States
I love the words it truly describes what’s in my heart. ❤️ I love all the hymns they all glorify the King of kings Jesus Christ our Lord.
Mansfield, Ohio, United States
To let the Lord rule and reign in me is not easy. I have a life of my own and I wish to reign in that. It’s only by applying the cross in my life that this new eternal life could reign in me. This is where we see Him. He is my vision. He is the Lord of my life! This is all want to see. This is enough.
Massachusetts, United States
Ana Lara, thank you for sharing your research on this hymn (and other hymns as well). This hymn is a favorite in our little home meeting. He is our vision, our aspiration. We abide in Him. What a beautiful mingling!
Mansfield, Ohio, United States
Lord don’t be anything else to me but what you are. I desire you and you alone. I don’t want to be distracted by anything else. You are my vision (central vision). I don’t want to be distracted by peripheral things. I want a single heart for you.
Philippines
O King of glory, my victory won;
Rule and reign in me ’til Thy will be done;
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall;
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Nacogdoches, Texas, United States
This beautiful song... sung over me by my mother when a child. For years I had an idea of the melody, but never knew all the words. Such a joy and glory now to sing it full and sweet unto the Lord. What grace! What a gift! To sing back to him the songs he has given us!!! So much strength and joy in these words! Thank you Lord!
If I am not mistaken, there is another verse which is the third of five.
"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."
Chile
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Thou my best thought, by day or by night.
United States
"Be Thou my vision"
Amen!
Anaheim, California, United States
Lord be Thou my vision... keep me in the line of Life all my days.
Storrs, Connecticut, United States
The music SLANE, is an Irish tune, arranged by Donald P Husted, in 1974.
Donald Paul Husted was born October 2, 1918, near Echo, Minnesota and died June 22, 2013, Chicago, Illinois. He is buried in Chapel Hill Gardens West, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.
After his father died in a hunting accident when he was an infant, his mother moved her two sons to Boone, Iowa. Donald began studying piano at the tender age of four, and went on to study at John Fletcher College (BA 1940) and Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
(MMus 1945, DMus 1963).
Hustad was an associate of the American Guild of Organists (1969), and Fellow of the Royal College of Organists in London (1974). He worked as a staff musician at the radio station WMBI in Chicago, Illinois (1942-1945) and as a music director for one of the programs at ABC radio (1945-53).
He was later an Associate Professor of Music at Olivet Nazarene College, Kankakee, Illinois (1946-50); director of the Sacred Music Department at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago (1950–63); and conducted the Moody Chorale.
Husted also played the organ for Billy Graham crusades, and directed the “Crusader Men” on “The Hour of Decision” broadcast.
In 1966, he became professor of Church Music at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1950, he became an editor for Hope Publishing Company in Chicago and Carol Stream, Illinois. He has either published or edited at least nine different publications.