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Advent Hymnals

SDA Hymnal 515

The Lord Is My Light

Words: James NicholsonMusic: Dr. J. W. BischoffTune: The Lord Is My Light10.10.11.11 with refrain

Studio

1The Lord is my light; then why should I fear?
By day and by night His presence is near;
He is my salvation from sorrow and sin;
This blessed persuasion the Spirit brings in.

2The Lord is my light, though clouds may arise,
Faith, stronger than sight, looks up to the skies;
Where Jesus forever in glory doth reign;
Then how can I ever in darkness remain?

3The Lord is my light, the Lord is my strength;
I know in His might I'll conquer at length;
My weakness in mercy He covers with power,
And walking by faith, He upholds me each hour.

4The Lord is my light, my all and in all;
There is in His sight no darkness at all;
He is my Savior and King;
With saints and with angels His praises I sing.

Scripture
Psalm 27:1; Psalm 18:2

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
10.10.11.10 · the hymnal prints 10.10.11.11 with refrain
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 32% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary · * a word sung short, as “heav’n”

Verse 1

The Lord is my light; then why should I fear?˘/˘˘///˘˘/10A
By day and by night His presence is near;˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/10A
He is my salvation from sorrow and sin;˘˘˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B
This blessed persuasion the Spirit brings in.˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘10B

Verse 2

The Lord is my light, though clouds may arise,˘/˘˘///˘˘/10A
Faith, stronger than sight, looks up to the skies;//˘˘//˘˘˘/10A
Where Jesus forever in glory doth reign;//˘˘/˘˘/˘//11B
Then how can I ever in darkness remain?//˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B

Verse 3

The Lord is my light, the Lord is my strength;˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/10A
I know in His might I'll conquer at length;˘/˘˘˘//˘˘/10A
My weakness in mercy He covers with power,˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B*
And walking by faith, He upholds me each hour.˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘//11B

Verse 4

The Lord is my light, my all and in all;˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/10A
There is in His sight no darkness at all;/˘˘˘/˘/˘˘/10A
He is my Savior and King;˘˘˘/˘˘/7B
With saints and with angels His praises I sing.˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.