What We Sang Today - 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.
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.
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 heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
– Ancient Irish poem, circa 8th century. Tr. Mary E. Byrne, traditional Irish melody
Eighth century! The words to this hymn are attributed to Dallan Forgail, an Irish Christian poet. Yet not until 1905 was it translated to English, by Mary Byrne. Jars of Clay have recorded a version, though I recognize it as the opening instrumental from Desiring God’s radio show. This hymn reminds me that our only hope and treasure is in our sovereign God.
What did you sing on this Lord’s day?
What We Sang Today - Though Troubles Assail Us
Though troubles assail us and dangers affright, though friends should all fail us and foes all unite,
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide, the promise assures us, “The Lord will provide.”
The birds, without garner or storehouse, are fed; from them let us learn to trust God for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be deined so long as ’tis written, “The Lord will provide.”
When Satan assails us to stop up our path, and courage all fails us, we triumph by faith.
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried, this heart cheering promise, “The Lord will provide.”
No strength of our own and no goodness we claim; yet, since we have known of the Savior’s great name,
In this our strong tower for safety we hide: the Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide.”
Newton, a slave ship captain, is best known for his hymn “Amazing Grace”, but he wrote several other cherished hymns. I had never sung “Though Troubles Assail Us”, but instead know it better as “The Lord Will Provide” from Matthew Smith’s 2006 album All I Owe.
Did you sing an uplifting hymn today? Let me know in the comments. And visit Rebecca Writes to see what others sang today.
What They Sang Today - I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto me and rest; lay down, O weary one lay down, your head upon my breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was, so weary, worn and sad; I found in him my resting place, and he has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold I freely give the living water; thirsty one, stoop down and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank from that life-giving stream; my thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s light; look unto me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found in him my star, my sun; and in that light of life I’ll walk ’til pilgrim days are done.
- Horatius Bonar; Music by Kevin Twit ©1998 Kevin Twit Music
I couldn’t attend church today, so I missed this beautiful hymn, one of my favorites. Indelible Grace included this hymn on their first album, sung by Sarah Catherine Brooks. (You can hear a clip of it on that page.) It’s amazing to me that a hymn written in 1846 can sound so refreshing and full of grace today. Kevin Twit and Indelible Grace have done a marvelous job of renewing interest in this and other glorious old hymns.
What did you sing today? Visit Rebecca Writes to see what others sang and include your link there.
What We Sang Today - Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above; praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of God’s unchanging love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God: he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be; let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it—prone to leave the God I love: here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.
- Robert Robinson, 1758
Were you blessed and inspired by any of the hymns you sang today?
What We Sang Today - Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood, from thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and pow’r.
Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace;
Foul, I to the Fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyelids close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgement throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.
- Augustus M. Toplady, 1776
Toplady is said to have written the hymn while seeking shelter from a thunderstorm:
Sir William Henry Wills, in a letter to Dean Lefroy, published in the [London] Times in June, 1898, says ‘Toplady was one day overtaken by a thunderstorm in Burrington Coombe, on the edge of my property, Blagdon, a rocky glen running up into the heart of the Mendip range, and there, taking shelter between two massive piers of our native limestone rock, he penned the hymn,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.There is a precipitous crag of limestone a hundred feet high, and right down its centre is the deep recess in which Toplady sheltered.’
What did you sing today?
What We Sang Today - Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven, to his feet your tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, who, like me, his praise should sing?
Praise him, praise him, praise him, praise him, praise the everlasting King.
Praise him for his grace and favor to our fathers in distress;
Praise him, still the same forever, slow to chide and swift to bless;
Praise him, praise him, praise him, praise him, glorious in his faithfulness.
Father-like, he tends and spares us; well our feeble frame he knows;
In his hands he gently bears us, rescues us from all our foes;
Praise him, praise him, praise him, praise him, widely as his mercy goes.
Frail as summer’s flower we flourish, blows the wind and it is gone;
But while mortals rise and perish, God endures unchanging on.
Praise him, praise him, praise him, praise him, praise the High Eternal One.
Angels help us to adore him; you behold him face to face;
Sun and moon bow down before him, dwellers all in time and space,
Praise him, praise him, praise him, praise him, praise with us the God of grace.
- Adapted from Psalm 103 by Henry F. Lyte
What did you sing? Visit Rebecca Writes, who keeps a list of hymns sung each Sunday.
What We Sang Today - To God Be the Glory
To God be the glory, great things he has done! So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
Who yielded his life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that we may go in.
Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
And give him the glory, great things he has done!
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood! To ev’ry believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus forgiveness receives. Refrain
Great things he has taught us, great things he has done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer and higher and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. Refrain
What did you sing? Leave a comment, and visit Rebecca Writes, who keeps a list of hymns sung each Sunday.
What We Sang Today - And Can It Be
And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died he for me, who caused his pain? For me, who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Chorus: Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
‘Tis mystery all! Th’Immortal dies: who can explore his strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine.
‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore, let angel minds inquire no more. Chorus
He left his Father’s throne above - so free, so infinite his grace!
Humbled himself - so great his love! And bled for all his chosen race.
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free; for, O my God, it found out me. Chorus
No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in him, is mine!
Alive in him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own. Chorus
What did you sing? Visit Rebecca Writes, who keeps a list of hymns sung each Sunday.