Review: The Valley of Vision, Banner of Truth,
2002. Available as leather bound, paper bound or e-book from http://banneroftruth.org/uk/store).
Old books and
devotional books are frequently a bore. Surely then, old devotional books will
be the worst of the worst.
Not so with Valley of Vision. This is a selection of
carefully chosen puritan prayers and devotions, arranged thematically as a kind
of prayer book.
‘Puritans’ we ask.
‘Surely they are the dullest of the dullest and, besides, what is there to
learn from past centuries?’.
‘Yes’, the
puritans can be dull and ‘yes’ they are from another age. However, they were
people who knew God deeply and knew the human heart with remarkable insight. And
that is in sharp contrast to our day when Christian devotional publishing is
more characterised by superficiality on the human condition and an awe-less
flippancy towards God.
Valley of Vision is not a book to sit and read as though a novel or
textbook. Nor is it a book whose prayers are to be merely recited. It is a book
to prime the pump for prayer. It is a book to lead the praying Christian
higher, deeper and wider. It is a book to refresh the tired and dry Christian. It
is a book to give a vehicle of expression to the Christian who is filled with longing
for and joy in the Lord but who cannot find the words.
This is a good
book with good words.
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