The Valley of Vision

I realized that my last two posts have been rather long so this one is going to be short and sweet! There are a couple of blogs I keep up with and I like both their short and long posts. It is nice to have variety right?....then again that could just be the American culture's need for new and exciting things on a daily basis influencing me. But I digress....on to the business at hand. 

Special thanks to several ladies in my Monday evening bible study who recommended a little book to me called The Valley of Vision edited by Arthur Bennett. They mentioned it last Monday, I ordered it on Wednesday and got it on Friday. Gotta love amazon prime :-) This book has been a true blessing to me and I have only had it 4 days! I recommend this book as a companion to your daily time of devotion.  Notice I said companion....not in place of!  Nothing is better than the Word and your own personal prayer time with the Lord. 

This book is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. If you just read one a day it will take you through about half the year and then you will be glad to start over from the beginning again. These prayers are packed full of theology and praise to the Lord. They are so deep it made me realize how shallow my own prayer life is at times. They are beautifully written and challenging. If you like to think and go deep this is a great book for you. 

I will leave you with one of the prayers below to wet your appetite. You can find copies of the book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. They come in paperback, hardback or leather bound. So, that is it for this post. It wasn't as short and sweet as I had planned, but I can own up to the fact that I am long winded by nature. Just ask my History professors from college....I am the reason they put a cap on how many pages you could write :-)  Have a blessed week my friends! Love to you from The Forest!

The Valley of Vision

Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,

Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,

     where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights:

     hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy 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 thy stars shine.

Let me find thy light in my darkness,

     thy life in my death,

     thy joy in my sorrow,

     thy grace in my sin,

     they riches in my poverty,

     thy glory in my valley.