Daily Scripture Reading: Hosea 2:15 KJV
Hosea 2:15 KJV
(15) 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.
Today’s Devotional Is VICTORY OUTSIDE DEFEAT
THE VALLEY OF Achor is an emblem of failure, defeat, and the fainting heart. The terrified fugitives fled down its long passage, carrying Joshua’s story of defeat (Joshua 7). Is there any life that isn’t surrounded by the valley of Achor. Is there a single person who hasn’t faced a foe that, while it seemed insignificant from a distance, has proven to be more than a match to all our resolutions? Can there be good from such evil and sweetness from such bitter despair.
In the seventh chapter of Joshua, we read a tragic tale about how defeat brought good. This disaster led to the search for the sin of Achan and the cutting out of gangrene that would otherwise have eaten away the heart of Israel. It brought humiliation, self-examination and prayer, and ultimately victory. We should not forget our losses. It would have been much better if they had not cast their shadows on our past, but they have taught us valuable lessons. Every valley of Achor has its own door of Hope. Sin reigned over death, but God’s grace has brought about eternal life. We have come to understand God’s forgiveness through our sins. Through our failures, we have also been taught to magnify the grace that is perfected in weakness.
These experiences give rise to the song “She shall sing like in her youth.” You claim that spring and the joy of living are gone forever. You insist that you must continue to mourn all your life, and that every day will bring more grief. God tells you that you will sing! Even though the summer is over, there will be another–an Indian one, which will be even more mellow than the first. God wants to show you His love and to bring you joy and happiness. When all of these things happen, which may start to-day when you return to Him; you’ll find that God has given you a new song, praise unto His God.
PRAYER for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for opening the doors to Hope in the valley Achor and for providing us with beauty for ashes and oil for joy for our mourning. Let us sing a new song today, and we will feel the joy of Thy love pardoning. AMEN.