The Valley Is the Place 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 I’m 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 is to receive,
That the valley is the place of vision.
Let faith stride forth in giant power, and love respond with energy in every act.
I often mourn the absence of my beloved Lord
Whose smile makes earth a paradise, whose voice is sweetest music Whose presence gives all grace strength.
Lord, I’m the daytime stars that can be seen from deepest wells,
And the deeper the wells the brighter thy star 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.
—Valley of Vision
Sometimes, it’s in the lowest, hardest places that we finally begin to see clearly. In “The Valley of Vision,” we’re reminded that the very things we often want to escape—brokenness, grief, weakness, and even sorrow—can become holy ground. These valleys, though painful, strip us of self-reliance and open our eyes to God’s nearness. They teach us paradoxes of grace: that to be low is to be lifted, to have nothing is to receive everything, and to mourn is to meet the comforting presence of Christ.
If you find yourself in a valley right now—emotionally, spiritually, or mentally—don’t despise it. This may be where your clearest vision of God will come. You are not abandoned here. You are being invited into a deeper dependence and a more radiant hope. Let this prayer become your own—an honest cry from the depths, where the light of God’s love shines the brightest. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics