Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Valley of Vision

I read this prayer yesterday, from the book Krista gave to me, The Valley of Vision. It's a puritan prayer, and I found it deeply moving and significant. So I thought I'd share:

The Valley of Vision

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
You have brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see you in the heights;
hemmed in by the mountains of sin I behold your glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells, the brighter your stars shine;
Let me find your light in my darkness,
your life in my death,
your joy in my sorrow,
your grace in my sin,
your riches in my poverty,
your glory in my valley.

3 comments:

  1. Hey Matt, does that book have the history/author of that prayer?

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  2. do you know the sovereign grace song "valley of vision" ... it's one of my favorites.

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  3. Matt-- I looked it up in the book and that prayer is actually the only one written by the editor, whose name is Arthur G Bennet.

    Ken-- I don't know that song. Does it have similar lyrics to the prayer?

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