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 the 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. 

This is a puritan prayer titled the Valley of Vision and it is found in a book of the the same title which is a collection of puritan prayers and devotions. When reading this prayer it becomes obvious that this is radically different than our conception of where happiness and pleasure is found.

One does not have to look too far in western culture to see where joy and happiness are claimed to be found. Fulfillment is supposed to found in fine dining, wealth, clothes, entertainment, social status, possibly the endeavors of one's children, etc. There is a large billboard outside of the University of Toronto Mississauga which has the slogan "be recognized". Clearly this billboard affirms the idea that recognition is a desirable trait for people. There is nothing really wrong with fine dining, wealth, being recognized, and the like, but should these things be our desires and if not what is?

What amazes me about this prayer is that sometimes it is so easy for us to pray and ask God for superficial pleasures; health, food, good friendships, and likewise (which is not wrong). But what is central here is that God's glory is seen and desired, especially when life is filled with sin produced by others, and even in one's self. See, for the person who is praying the Valley of Vision, they desire joy and freedom from the bondage that is entrapping them. But rather than praying directly for light, joy, and life, rather what is desired is to behold the glory of God. And I would say this should be the greatest desire, which no other desires can compare, within life and existence itself.

Nothing is greater than beholding the glory of God, to come face to face with His awe-inspiring beauty and splendor, to see how majestic and mysteriously tremendous God is. There is nothing else that should be desired. God's glory is revealed in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4,6). We should be like Paul in saying that "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8). Christ's worth is beyond compare and this is because God's glory is displayed within him.

But the beauty in the Valley of Vision is that God's glory can and is displayed in the deepest and dark recesses of life. We are surrounded by mountains of sin, such that natural light is blocked out and all that looms overhead is the deepness of the shadow of iniquity. But within the darkness light shines so much brighter. This is where God's glory is beautifully displayed. Within the gruesome event Christ's suffering and crucifixion, at the apex of history, God's glory is revealed. God's wrath poured on His Son, such that we are now justified, and pardoned from all sin. Here is where God's beauty is seen. In spite of the pain and suffering, God uses these events to pour out His grace.

It is amazing how in this prayer "to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, to have nothing is to possess all". This hearkens back to 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When we are at our weakest points, such that we do not even have enough strength to lift even our smallest finger, even at those points we are strong.

This is why Paul can all the more say "to share in [Christ's] sufferings, to become like Him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10). Paul desires to share in Christ's pain so much that he wants to follow Him to death. And what is clear here is that Paul is looking forward to something greater. Not simply eternal life, rather an eternity with Christ (cf. Philippians 1:23). For Paul suffering and hardship will and did lead him all the more to be with Christ, and this is where God's glory is displayed.

I pray that this is the heart cry for all people of all nations. That we all desire to see and behold the glory of God. That we learn and see the beauty of Christ in the deepest darkest valleys, because this is when we are made strong, and this is when God's grace is displayed so powerfully in our lives. Let us not seek our own good, glory, riches, and life. Rather let us seek God's glory. This is where all satisfying pleasure and happiness is found, within God Himself.

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.