A Door of Hope
Today’s Verse:
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. ~Hosea 2:15
Hope is the anticipation that something that will benefit us will occur. It is the thread that we hang from that keeps encouraged. It is the glimmer of light that says everything will work out. God told Israel that there was a door of hope for them. This means that even though they had been going through tough times, the door in front of them would open up opportunities of hope. This morning, there is a door of hope for all of us.
We see the memory.
The valley of Achor is remembered as the place where Achan was executed and buried by Joshua and the nation of Israel for his sin of taking the accursed thing. The names “Achan” and “Achor” mean “trouble.” Achan’s sin brought trouble and misery to the nation and, eventually, to himself and his family. Sin is the root of much trouble. Sin brought the curse of death and Hell on every man born into this world. “For the wages of sin is death….” Job said, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” After Levi and Simeon murdered the men of Shechem, Jacob said, “Ye have troubled me to make me to stink.” God told Israel that if they sinned by worshipping other gods, many evils and sins would trouble them.The valley of Achor was a perpetual memory as a place of trouble.
We see the mercy.
“And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope.” God was extending mercy to Israel for forgiveness and restoration. God never refuses our repentance and desire for restoration. As treacherous as Israel was in its spiritual infidelity, God stood ready and willing to receive her back in mercy. We must not be spiteful of God’s mercies. God is rich in His mercy towards us. God’s mercies are new every morning. We are saved by His mercy. Peter said, “Which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” The door of hope is God’s mercy! The door of restoration is not closed, but it is a door where there is hope for our spiritual life.
We see the mark.
The door of hope is a mark for us. It is a mark for a restored relationship. It is a mark for a restored prayer life. It is a mark for restored fruitfulness. It is a mark in getting us back on the right track and direction for our prize and the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is our hope of glory. He is the God of hope regardless of what kind of trouble we are in and how little our faith seems to be.
We see the mirth.
“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.” When we enter through the door of hope, our ashes are turned into beauty, and we are given the oil of joy for our mourning. There is great joy and happiness. God says, “As in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.” It is the mirth of our first days after we got saved. It is the mirth of our fervent devotion when we were close to the Lord. It is the mirth of a forgiven destiny. Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full”: that is mirth! There is a door of hope in everything for God’s people. Let God turn your valley of Achor into a door of hope!
Have a hope-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Nehemiah 1-3