Daily Vision

The story of St Patrick in 5^th century Ireland, whether history or myth, is an inspiring story of faith. Much like King Arthur’s devotion to Camelot, Patrick’s devotion to God in the midst of oppression is valiant and even epic. We often consider such tales to belong to extraordinary people, rather than to common individuals. Yet when they are happening, those people do not seem any more exceptional than others. Especially in the case of the stories of faith, those individuals were not special in and of themselves, rather it was their faith that was out of the ordinary. God worked in their lives to such an extraordinary degree that it made its mark on history, but again, at the time it didn’t seem that exceptional. Some of the faith possibly even mocked their fanaticism and zeal. It is not until afterward that it is seen as something so great. It all starts with a vision, an inspiration that motivates us to be willing.

 

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

 

This poem was written in honor and memorial of St Patrick’s extraordinary faith. It all begins with priorities. In order to have an extraordinary faith, we must value God above all else. He must mean more to us than any person, thing or pleasure. He must occupy all our thoughts, and be the light which guides our every step. We need to seek His presence continually above all else.

 

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

 

We must seek God for wisdom and see Him as the ultimate source of truth. Compromise does not lead to greatness. Scripture must trump every other thought and idea. Along with that, seeking God’s presence and recognizing His work and presence in our lives will change our outlook and attitudes. God is our Father so we must act like His children, emulating Him and honoring and respecting Him above all. He lives in our hearts after salvation, so we should strive to be one with Him, following His guidance and yielding to His voice.

 

 

Be thou my buckler, my sword for the fight.
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tow’r.
Raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

 

When in trouble, we should run to God. Rather than fighting by human means we should seek to fight with the Spirit, allowing Him to guide and to fight for us. In Him is our identity. He defines us and makes us who we are so we should delight in Him and surrender our lives to Him so that He can mold us into His perfection. In Him is our protection and place of refuge. No where or one is safe aside from Him. None can protect us like He can so we should turn to no other for security. He is the one who gives us strength and power, so we should strive to grow ever closer to Him.

 

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and thou only first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art

 

The things this world values; wealth, money, accolades, should mean nothing to us because our identity and worth are in Christ. The things of this world remain on this world, and will not even be remembered in eternity. We need to focus on what does matter, what has lasting value. The inheritance we gain on earth we cannot take with us. God is our true inheritance, one that cannot be taken away, taxed, or spent. He should be first in our hearts, greatest of our delights, and our highest priority. He should be our treasure.

 

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

 

As the High King of Heaven, He has ultimate authority and power. Because of that, He had the authority and power to defeat death and satan, so we already have victory at salvation because of the work He has done, and we will realize that victory when we reach heaven. No matter what happens, He is all we will ever need and will always have. No matter what happens, He should be our vision and the delight of our hearts.

 

Where are your priorities? What or who guides your steps? What are your goals and where does your value lie? Seek God’s presence, make Him your delight, and determine to follow Him no matter what.