In my morning devotions today I was reading from the book of Hosea; a troublesome little book that confronts the unfaithfulness of the people of God and the unrelenting kindness and faithfulness of our Great God through the telling of the story of an unfaithful wife and the unrelenting faithfulness and love of her husband towards her. It truly is a beautiful story of the miracle of redemptive love, and in the very midst of it this morning I found a wonderful gem that I had never seen before.
It says in Hosea 2:14-15 (NKJV)
"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her. I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth"
The valley of Achor is translated, or interpreted as "The Valley of Trouble". Every Hebrew reader would have recognized the Valley of Achor as a valley of great trouble; the valley of Aachan's sin and Israel's defeat. It was a place of bitterness, death, despair, defeat, and uncertainty.
It may indeed be a place you find yourself today.
It may be that His Word today is preparing you for your tomorrows.
"There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,"
There are 3 "I Wills" of God
I Will bring the wilderness – More often than not, it is the wilderness moments that work God's greatest works in our lives. It is during those moments that He can and does have our full attention, because desperation compels us to dependence.
I Will give back – God will restore. Need I say more? Redemption is all about God restoring what sin has taken away from those called by His name.
I Will make trouble a door of hope- Psalm 34:6-10 (NKJV)
"This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing."
This morning, let God Himself open the door of Hope in your Valley of Trouble.
Do not be discouraged when the dark clouds come,
When the passing days are full of toil and pain;
Only stop and think that He who gives the sun,
Makes the clouds and also sends the rain.