Opening Hope – Hope Wins – Day 21

I was driving frantically to get to the airport to reach my kids the morning that I got the call that my hubby woke up in Heaven. There seemed to be no way I could make it in time for the last flight out. The rain clouds matched my sorrow as the tears flowed freely making it hard to see the road. There were trees on each side of that Mississippi highway I was three hours away.

“At that precise second, I drove from the tree-linend highway ito an open area where the sky seemed on fire with a beautiful heart-shaped cloud. A shaft of light wasa shining through a hole in the middle of it. It felt like I was driving through it. I smiled as I remembered all the times that these brilliant rays of light (or hope rays as I like to call them) had filled the sky just when I most needed to be reminded of God’s care for me. I felt the close presence of the Lord in that moment and a sense of peace.

“I will trust You, Lord, even now,” I said softly. At that moment, I prayed a prayer of surrender and in response, I received just what I needed to keep going. Just when we think we can’t keep going, we get exactly what we need in response to simple obedience. That truly a miracle.”

(Excerpt from The Power of Hope in Mourning: Ride the Waves to Comfort a book written by Karen Sebastian. For more information click here.)

Hosea is the author and main character in this small book cataloged in the section of the Minor Prophets – minor because they are shorter. It is a very graphic passage where God asks Hosea to marry Gomer, a prostitute, in order to be an illustrated sermon to what they were doing. This example expresses the passionate love God has toward His people. The married life of Hosea and Gomer declare the sin, judgment and forgiving love of God toward His people. They had abandoned the pure worship of God and were worshiping the fertility gods of their neighbors. Not only were they crafting idols and bowing down to them in the high places but were also fully participating in the sexual aspects of that idolatry. It was breaking God’s heart and He was angry for their adultery. Still in the midst of their mess, God promises to woo them back and regain their heart once again. In this context we can see that God is moving in ways that we cannot even begin to understand.

The reference to the valley of Achor is very interesting because it is the place that the Israelites experienced defeat Achan stole a beautiful robe and some gold and silver. He tried to hide them in his tent. They had been specifically instructed not to keep any of the ‘spoils’ after this first victory. The devastating defeat came as a total surprise after the a resounding victory over the fortified city of Jericho. (You can read more in Joshua 7. They were over confident as they approached the smaller city of Ai only to be defeated and have 36 men die. The disobedience of one person brought death to innocent ones. There was great shame for Achan and his entire family. These are the places where we feel the shame for past failures and mistakes that have affected innocent lives. These are the valleys we would rather forget and cover up. They pop up when we are feeling discouraged and we remember a painful experience. When that happens take a moment to relive the memory and ask yourself what you are believing there. We have the help of the Holy Spirit who will replace the lie we started believing in our “Valley of Trouble” and replace it with the truth of His presence and love.

Most of us have no problem feeling hope on our good days. It is true that when all is going well we can feel energy and the expectation for it to continue. It’s quite another though to be coming out of a shameful place where we have done something wrong. The word translated as door also means an opening, gateway or entrance. In other words, in the darkest times we will find an opening to a new way of thinking. In the four years since my husband died the opening of hope have looked like hope rays. Just when I felt the oppression of the valley of grief – made worse by gloomy, cloudy days and I have felt like giving up there has been a reason for me to go outside. As I look up there is an opening of hope in the dark sky in the form of brilliant rays of light. That is what God wants to do for you too.

Thank You, Lord, that you do not leave us in the dark valley of trouble. Even when we are the ones who have messed up and could feel shame you say to us that you are calling us to a different and higher way. In that low place, You will always provide us with an opening of hope. I ask that You grant us the ability to anticipate what You are accomplishing in these dark times and to look forward to hope in whatever form it may come. In Jesus’ name. Amen.