The
majestic chime of London’s Great Clock of Westminster, commonly known as Big
Ben, is familiar to many. In fact, some of us may have clocks in our homes that
sound the same hourly chime. It is traditionally thought that the melody was
taken from Handel’s Messiah. And the lyrics inscribed in the Big Ben
clock room have a time significance:
All
through this hour,
Lord, be
my guide;
And by
Thy power,
No foot
shall slide.
These
lyrics are a good reminder of our constant need for God’s guidance. King David
recognized that he needed guidance all through the day as he faced the
challenges of life. In Psalm 25 he says: “Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (v.5). Wanting
to be a teachable follower of God, David looked to his Redeemer for direction.
His heart’s desire was to wait on God with dependent faith throughout the
entire day.
May this be our desire as well. Our requests for God’s help often begin the day, but then competing distractions can pull our attention away from Him. Lord, remind us to pray: “All through this hour, Lord, be my guide.”
Let God be first in your thoughts in the morning, and last in your thoughts at night. (RBC)
