Devotionals: The Valley of Vision

SOVEREIGN GOD, Thy cause, not my own, engages my heart,       and I appeal to thee with greatest freedom   to set up thy kingdom in every place     where Satan reigns; Glorify thyself and I shall rejoice,   for to bring honour to thy name is my sole desire. I adore thee that thou art God,   and long […]

REMEMBER, O MY SOUL, It is thy duty and privilege to rejoice in God: He requires it of thee for all his favours of grace. Rejoice then in the Giver and his goodness, Be happy in him, O my heart, and in nothing     but God,   for whatever a man trusts in,   from that he expects […]

FATHER OF MERCIES, Hear me for Jesus’ sake.       I am sinful even in my closest walk         with thee;   it is of thy mercy I died not long ago; Thy grace has given me faith in the cross   by which thou hast reconciled thyself to me     and me to thee,   drawing me by thy great love, […]

LORD JESUS, Give me to love thee, to embrace thee,       though I once took lust and sin in my arms.       Thou didst love me before I loved thee,   an enemy, a sinner, a loathsome worm. Thou didst own me when I disclaimed myself; Thou dost love me as a son,   and weep over me as […]

HEAVENLY FATHER, If I should suffer need, and go unclothed,     and be in poverty,   make my heart prize thy love,   know it, be constrained by it,   though I be denied all blessings. It is thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants,   for by these trials I see my sins,   and desire severance from […]

O LORD, Help me never to expect any happiness       from the world, but only in thee. Let me not think that I shall be more happy     by living to myself,   for I can only be happy if employed for thee,   and if I desire to live in this world   only to do and suffer what […]

MY DEAR LORD I depend wholly upon thee,     wean me from all other dependences. Thou art my all, thou dost overrule all     and delight in me. Thou art the foundation of goodness,   how can I distrust thee?   how be anxious about what happens to me? In the light of thy preciousness   the world and all […]

O GOD OF MY DELIGHT, Thy throne of grace       is the pleasure ground of my soul. Here I obtain mercy in time of need,   here see the smile of thy reconciled face,   here joy pleads the name of Jesus,   here I sharpen the sword of the Spirit,       anoint the shield of faith,       put on the […]

THOU GREAT THREE-ONE, Author of all blessings I enjoy,       of all I hope for, Thou hast taught me   that neither the experience of present evils,   nor the remembrances of former sins,   nor the remonstrances of friends,   will or can affect a sinner’s heart,   except thou vouchsafe to reveal thy grace   and quicken the dead in […]

GRACIOUS GOD, My heart praises thee for the wonder         of thy love in Jesus; He is heaven’s darling, but is for me   the incarnate, despised, rejected,   crucified sin-bearer; In him thy grace has almost out-graced itself, In him thy love to rebels has reached its height; O to love thee with a love like this! […]

HEAVENLY FATHER, Thou hast led me singing to the cross       where I fling down all my burdens         and see them vanish,   where my mountains of guilt are levelled     to a plain,   where my sins disappear, though they are     the greatest that exist,   and are more in number than the grains     of fine sand; For there […]

LORD JESUS, Grant me the favour of being led by thee,       under the directions of thy providence       and thy Word. Grant me thy blessings with bitter things,   to brighten and quicken me,   not to depress and make me lifeless; Grant me, like Gideon of old, way-tokens,   by removing things that discourage me; Grant me succour […]

O LORD GOD, Teach me to know that grace precedes,       accompanies, and follows my salvation,   that it sustains the redeemed soul,   that not one link of its chain can ever break. From Calvary’s cross wave upon wave of grace   reaches me,   deals with my sin,   washes me clean,   renews my heart,   strengthens my will,   draws […]

THOU ETERNAL SOURCE, Author of all created being and happiness,       I adore thee for making man capable       of religion,   that he may be taught to say:     ‘Where is God, my Maker, who giveth       songs in the night?’ But degeneracy has spread over our     human race,   turning glory into shame,   rendering us forgetful of thee. We […]

MIGHTY GOD, I humble myself for faculties misused,     opportunities neglected,     words ill-advised, I repent of my folly and inconsiderate ways,   my broken resolutions, untrue service,   my backsliding steps,   my vain thoughts. O bury my sins in the ocean of Jesus’ blood   and let no evil result from my fretful temper,     unseemly behaviour, provoking pettiness. If […]