This song has been on repeat lately. I've been seeing God answer my prayers that He would help me to be broken before Him. He's answering the prayer that He would do His work in my heart - no matter what it takes.
In the midst of lost dreams and unfulfilled longings, I've been discovering joy that I couldn't even imagine. It's a struggle to fight the lies and refuse to give in to bitterness. But in the middle of it all, God is showing me His love and faithfulness.
From a human perspective, it doesn't make sense how someone could have joy while experiencing hard things. But that does happen, as soon as we begin to value Him above everything and everyone else.
The first prayer in the book The Valley of Vision says it better than I could:
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,If the valley is what it takes for me to know God better, than that's what I want. I want to learn to exult in my Savior rather than finding comfort in my circumstances.
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.
"Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation."
Habakkuk 3:18
