In a very old hymn, Be Thou My Vision, there is one line that I particularly love. “Be my best thought by day or by night.” In modern terms, what does this look like?
Let your thoughts be about Jesus and He will keep you in perfect peace.
Fixing our thoughts on Jesus can be hard to do especially at this time, especially when, for some, it can feel as though our lives are falling apart. The loss of a loved one, income or the sense of normality from the pandemic, causes us to question God’s purpose for our lives. Where is God in the middle of all this suffering?
Where I live in Melbourne, Australia, we were under the strictest rules of lockdown in the world until only very recently. We were only allowed to leave home for four reasons: to provide care for a loved one, to buy groceries, to work (as an essential worker) and to exercise. Travelling more than 5kms away from home or visiting someone in their home was illegal. One hundred days of lockdown has certainly taken a toll on the physical and mental health of everyone whom I’ve been in contact with. It was one of the hardest times. But what I learned during that time was that it taught me to control what I allow myself to think about.
The more you think about Him and what He has done and is doing, the promise of His supernatural peace becomes your new reality. This peace, according to Philippians 4:7, surpasses human understanding. It keeps watch over your heart and mind. There is a deep sense of peace God offers to us. Believers in Jesus are promised this unique peace (John 14:27).
If you choose to continually meditate on God’s promises, He becomes the best thing you’ll ever think about during the day. God wants to keep you in His perfecpeace. But what does He mean by that? By fixing your thoughts on Him, whenever you’re tempted to fear or despair, He steers you back into His peace. In this way, you’ll keep yourself in His peace by deciding to fix your thoughts continually on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable.
As for me, I know I can place my trust in this God because He guides me through this life, one step at a time. He is faithful to His word. He’s promised to never leave or forsake me. These are the thoughts that I’m determined to think about. Despite everything in the world being so uncertain, I remind myself daily of His promises. Of all the thoughts I think about today, I want Jesus to be my best thought.
Who is He to you?
Scripture reference: Philippians 4:6-8, Isaiah 26:3.
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Ellice Wong is a radiographer in Melbourne, Australia and our newest Write2Ignite blogger. She is passionate about writing devotionals to encourage and inspire people to seek God. Please visit her blog, Living Stones.
Thank you so much for this wise, beautiful devotional. I needed it today!