Matt Richards
Hosea 2:15 There I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor [troubling] to be for her a door of hope and expectation. And she shall sing there and respond as in the days of her youth and as at the time when she came up out of the land of Egypt. 'I'll give her bouquets of roses. I'll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope.'(MSG)
I don't know who I am talking to, but the Holy Spirit interrupted my normal 'devotional' word to share this just for you:
There is Hope.
You know this passage is directed to God's people who had walked away from Him.
They had lost their first love. They had turned away from God and started serving other gods. They were backslidden and right miserable at that.
God was and is so merciful. He took them; or because of their poor choices even, they ended up in a place called:l, 'achor' which means: trouble and calamity.
And in a place called trouble and calamity, He set before them a door.
It was a door of Hope.
You know today you maybe in a place called calamity and trouble. A dark muddy place and think however did I get here?
Maybe you made some poor choices, maybe you've walked away from the Lord. Maybe you just got distracted and lost.
Know today there is a way of escape. A door of Hope. Jesus is the door and he presents Himself to where you are right now.(He is a very present help in time of trouble.) And you are in trouble.
But know even in this trouble that very thing that has caused you so much pain and calamity can be the very thing that points to the door of Hope; that's Jesus.
Psalm 18:19 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
Heartbreak Valley, as the Message puts it can be turned into acres of Hope. Prayer:
Father I am in a mess. I have turned away from serving you and I am heartbroken and in trouble. I choose to take the door of Hope in You Jesus. Thank You for hope, thank You for a future today. Help me, be my Saviour in Jesus' name amen.