A door of hope

Hosea 2:15

And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

The valley of Achor! A terrible, foreboding valley! The valley where Achan, the accursed sinner was burned with his family. What an awful place, a place of God’s judgement and wrath. But yet, but yet! This is the very place where hope would be born! God would make the valley of Achor a door of hope for His people! Only the Lord can take the worst of the worst and turn it into the best of the best. This is only possible by the hand of God Almighty. And this is what He would do for Israel. Israel had sinned, had turned, and had greatly rebelled against her Lord and her husband. And yet He would bring her back to the days of her youth, and would restore the years that the locust had eaten. He said He would speak comfortably to her. Although she had grievously and blatantly sinned against the Lord, yet He would give her a new beginning. This is our Lord, and this is our God!

Is there a valley of Achor to which you are looking now, beloved? Perhaps all seems to be lost. All the song is gone. The glory is gone, and the hope is gone. There seems to be no more hope for you or for a one dear to you. They have rebelled; they have turned from the Lord. May I remind you this day, dear one, that God can turn the bleakest place into the brightest place and the most hopeless place to the most happy place? He can use that which is cursed to bring in the greatest blessing. This is the door of hope of which the Lord here speaks. The door of hope! Pray for it today! Ask for it today for you and your loved ones. The valley of Achor for a door of hope!

“Father, how we praise you that you can take those things which seem to be without hope, joy, or prospect, and make them a door that opens into your greatest blessings. It is a door of hope for us. And we pray for all those who need a door of hope, that you would open it wide for them, bringing them to your peace, your joy, and your hope. And we shall praise for all that you will do in our lives and in the lives of others. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”