Nourished by Prayers of Old

Welp, it's been a whopping 6 months and 21 days since I've blogged.  Can I even call myself a blogger anymore?  I'm embarrassed, but would like to get back on the blogging saddle, because I hope these next several blogs will encourage you as they've encouraged me.

Much has happened over the past six and a half months, most notably the conception of our first child, a boy, who is slated to join us mid November.  We are thrilled.  And sobered.  But also over the past several months I have been discouraged by my response to circumstances.  It's easy to rejoice when life is good, but the challenge is the response to the hardships of life.  We have been working through a sermon series at church on the book of James, which has been great.  We have talked about trials, temptations, faith and deeds, and the tongue among other topics.  Ironically I have felt like a big fat failure in most of these areas as we've been talking about them.  I thank God for pastors who remind us that in our failure Christ was perfect.

My failure - the fresh look at my own sin - has caused a deep hunger to look at Christ.  And so I turned to several sources for divine vision, one being an online version of the Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers.  I've been so nourished by the rich words of these prayers as they really get to the heart of so many fundamental issues of the Christian life.  As a result, I thought I'd share a prayer a day (or so) with you with the hope that you too will be encouraged wherever you find yourself in life.

The Valley of Vision

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast 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, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.