In this dark valley the world is passing through, there is hope…
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.
Hosea 2:14-15
When the prophet, Hosea, declares these words, Israel was already in the hot-mess of doing life her own way. The nation was already in the wilderness, having traveled far from the heart of God. However, the Lord calls her deeper so she will seek Him, and from there, He opens a door of Hope.
Most of us recognize that pandemics, destructive weather patterns, illness, and even death itself were never God’s original plan. But man goofed-up in a big way. That seemingly little mistake in the Garden of Eden had huge implications. We hear, “Why doesn’t God do something???” Well, He did. He came Himself in the form of a servant. By going to the cross, He tore the veil of separation between God and man in two. And by Jesus rising again, as we just celebrated, He opened wide the door of Hope.
The name Achor means trouble. And in our Valley of Trouble right now, Jesus is the door of Hope. All we need to do is open the door of our heart and invite to come in, and He will do just that. Where we have experienced loss and death, He comes with felt comfort. Where there are deep grieving and sorrow, He will bring fresh joy. Where we have lost our way, it is never too late with Him to start brand new.
And no matter what valleys we might face when this pandemic is over, He will still hold the door of Hope wide open for anyone who asks.