Every Valley a Door

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
    and bring her into the wilderness,
    and speak tenderly to her.
And there I will give her her vineyards
    and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
    as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt…

“And I will make for them a covenant with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.

“In that day I will answer, declares the Lord,
    I will answer the heavens,
    and they shall answer the earth,
and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
    and they shall answer Jezreel,
    and I will sow her for myself in the land.
I will have mercy on No Mercy,
    and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;
    and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’” Hosea 2:14-15,18-23

Hosea the prophet experienced deep and painful sorrow in his personal life. He was God’s chosen to issue God’s prophesies with the passion of one who understood betrayal, unrequited love, and the brokenness that ensues from unrestrained wayward affections. His description of tender love and merciful redemption flooded the vale of judgment with hope only the Faithful Lord could give. (Hosea 1:2-10; 3:1-3)

In a valley, every step can be drudgery. Outlooks dim due to heads hung low, bodies and expectations weary as the vale stretches ahead with no end in sight. Grief, an incurable disease, a wayward child, scars from regret that never heal. Disagreement, dissension, division, depression. The weight of the burden, the heat where no fresh winds blow, can seem unbearable. How long, O Lord?

Every valley we encounter- of relational trouble, work distress, heartache, physical or emotional destitution- God can make into a door of hope. It may be dark and deep, and seem endless, but God makes it a passageway to the reality best seen against that very bleakness. His hope is bright and sure and never disappoints, calling the weary traveler forward, onward, upward, to see through to the light.

In what strange valleys have we found ourselves, only to experience the Lord’s unexpected love and care through another person, a need met, or miraculous deliverance? Are we presently trudging in one, bereft of energy or hope? Would we hear and believe the Lord’s tender allure, and trust His promises of rest, redemption, and deeper knowledge of Him? Hope in God renews our spirits and the will to persevere.

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.” ~ R. Keen (1787)

Lord, in my valley, help me see the door and take hope in the beyond.