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| Good morning!
I read this prayer in Valley of Vision this morning. I am continually amazed at the depth of these prayers and how much they give words to my own heart. This one was so convicting because we have just come out of a week where we were discouraged, and instead of consistently allowing the discouragement to cause us to press into the Lord, we eventually gave way to it. God then “allowed Satan to have power in us” for a time...to reveal our sin and humble us. I thank Him for that! I hope this prayer is an encouragement to you! Thank you so much for your prayers and friendship.
Cindy
Humiliation
from The Valley of Vision
Sovereign Lord,
When clouds of darkness, atheism, and unbelief come to me,
I see thy purpose of love
in withdrawing the Spirit that I might prize him more,
in chastening me for my confidence in past successes, that my wound of secret
godlessness might be cured.
Help me to humble myself before thee by seeing the vanity of honour
as a conceit of men’s minds,
as standing between me and thee;
By seeing that thy will must alone be done,
as much in denying as in giving spiritual enjoyments;
By seeing that my heart is nothing but evil,
mind, mouth, life void of thee;
By seeing that sin and Satan are allowed power in me that I might know my sin,
be humbled, and gain strength thereby;
By seeing that unbelief shuts thee from me, so that I sense not thy majesty, power, mercy,
or love.
Then possess me, for thou only art good and worthy.
Thou dost not play in convincing me of sin,
Satan did not play in tempting me to it,
I do not play when I sink in deep mire,
for sin is no game, no toy, no bauble;
Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin lies not so much in the nature of the sin
committed, as in the greatness of the Person sinned against.
When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me, by showing me
that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch,
but that in Christ I am reconciled, made alive, and satisfied;
that I am feeble and unable to do any good,
but that in him I can do all things;
that what I now have in Christ is mine in part,
but shortly I shall have it perfectly in heaven.
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| I have a book entitled, The Valley of Vision, that I read sometimes in my quiet time. It is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. When my own prayers seem lacking, I can turn to the prayers of the saints of old and find my heart's cry in their words.
O God,
May thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to thee.
I have no merit, let the merit of Jesus stand for me.
I am undeserving, but I look to thy tender mercy.
I am full of infirmities, wants, sin; thou art full of grace.
I confess my sin, my frequent sin, my wilful sin;
All my powers of body and soul are defiled:
A fountain of pollution is deep within my nature.
There are chambers of foul images within my being;
I have gone from one odious room to another, walked in a no-man's-land of dangerous imaginations, pried into the secrets of my fallen nature.
I am utterly ashamed that I am what I am in myself;
I have no green shoot in me nor fruit, but thorns and thistles;
I am a fading leaf that the wind drives away;
I live bare and barren as a winter tree, unprofitable, ft to be hewn down and burnt.
Lord, dost thou have mercy on me?
Thou hast struck a heavy blow at my pride, at the false god of self, and I lie in pieces before thee.
But thou hast given me another Master and Lord, thy Son, Jesus, and now my heart is turned towards holiness, my life speeds as an arrow from a bow towards complete obedience to thee.
Help me in all my doings to put down sin and to humble pride.
Save me from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man, and let Christ's nature be seen in me day by day.
Grant me grace to bear thy will without repining, and delight to be not only chiselled, squared, or fashioned, but separated from the old rock where I have been embedded so long, and lifted from the quarry to the upper air, where I may be built in Christ for ever.
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| It was on a June day, like this one, that I heard a knock on my door. I was living in Chapel Hill for the first summer session of school. When I opened the door, there stood Mark with a big smile on his face. “I was wondering if you would like to grab a bite to eat with me sometime…maybe this evening.” I didn’t know what to say. My roommate had a big crush on him, but I didn’t want to make him feel bad, so I said…. “OK.” As I closed the door, I thought, “Oh me! I’m in trouble now!” You can imagine my shock when Mark called a couple of hours later to tell me that he had gotten us reservations at a Dinner Theatre. I thought he just wanted to grab a sandwich! Now I was in BIG trouble. I remember spending that evening with my stomach in knots. It turned out to be not so bad, though my roommate refused to speak to me for several weeks. Mark and I spent more time together, and before the end of June, he had asked me to marry him. I’m not very impulsive or spontaneous, so it took me until November to say “yes.” Do you know why I finally decided to marry Mark? He was the only young man I knew who was strong enough for my respect. The only one that I thought I could follow. My dad is a strong man, and I guess I was looking for someone equally as strong. Mark and I have had more than our fair share of struggles and fights. Both of us are a little stubborn. But we survived in our marriage and even began to thrive. It still humbles me and amazes me to look back on how God has redeemed our lives and given us precious fruit, seven beautiful children, who are a reflection of us…the good and the not so good. Praise God that His mercies and compassions fail not! I have always loved the month of June….slower days, going barefoot, swimming in the pool, catching lightning bugs, eating watermelon and spitting out the seeds, playing games in the backyard after supper, visiting the bookmobile on my street as a kid. Do you remember the wonderful smell of books when you stepped into the bookmobile? I would spend my summer days lost in other worlds and times through those books. Now, as a mom, I love to watch my children doing the same things. The other day, I watched Susanna out the window as she was reading a “Little House” book while swinging in the swing. What memories! This June is even more special to me and is bringing back a flood of memories. I am celebrating 25 years of marriage with that young man who knocked on my door so many years before. My, how the years have flown! Not many couples in our day and age stay together for 25 years. And oh, what they miss! For if they had persevered through the difficult times, they would have found that on the other side, there is sweetness that can only be experienced by a man and a woman who have lived and loved together, who have raised children together and walked through many joys and sorrows together. Only Mark can know how it feels to watch one of our children walk across the stage to receive her diploma, like Hannah will this June. Only Mark can share in the grieving of my heart when our oldest left home. Only Mark can know how hard it is for me to go through all the changes of this season of life. He knows and he understands. And I understand what he feels, too. What a loving, tender God we serve who would give us a friend and lover on earth who can walk with us down life’s road…together. He knows what we need. “Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life…for that is your portion in life.” On this summer day, the 5th of June, I am celebrating a union that only God can make. He alone can take two very different, very independent people and make them one, to the glory of His name. I am so thankful to be married to Mark Fox. For His glory, Cindy 
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| As I was praying this morning, I asked the Lord to give me wisdom and revelation for His resolutions for me for the new year. Shortly after, I opened my Daily Light to this verse. "We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:18 My first revelation.....to look at the new year through spiritual eyes, focusing on the eternal things which are not seen. I gravitate so much to tangible plans, things I can grab hold of, things that are measurable. His plans are so far above mine! His involve my heart and my mind being transformed by His living Word. His plans further His Kingdom, reveal His glory, and involve all of heaven and mankind. Wow.....my plans seem so small! "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Saviour, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen!" Jude 24-25 I can't wait to watch the Lord's plans unfold in 2007, for our lives and for yours! May the Lord bless you and keep you. | | |
| Guess who's birthday it is!? 
Happy 22nd birthday, Micah! We are proud of you and we love you! Go to inHisfootsteps to post to Micah's site! | | |
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