He made my Valley of Achor a door of hope.

 2013.

Anytime a new year comes around I can't help but meditate and think on the year that just ended. I think it's good and wise for anyone to do that. Tuesday night, I sat and journaled for an hour, just remembering and recording the memories, heartaches, joys, laughter, changes, tears- and thanking God for each of those. Side note, it never ceases to amaze me how the Lord can take the broken and make it beautiful, create beauty among ashes, bring dancing among sorrow, laughter amidst weeping. He makes all things new!

This morning the Lord brought Lamentations 3:22-25 to mind.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I will hope in Him." The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him."

As I read it, it hit me how deeply and intimately I believed it. The love, care, and provision of the LORD stirs my heart in ways nothing else ever can or will. But, I haven't gotten there without pain. Hosea 6:1 says, "Come, let us return to the LORD; for He has torn us, that He may heal us; He has struck us down, and He will bind us up."

The Lord has done just that with me. He's taken me to places in life I never dreamed of or even wanted, and He's said no to the dreams I do have and the things I have wanted; and He's still good. And His plan is better. This morning after I read Lamentations I sat just thinking about the way the Lord has molded and strengthened my heart and love for Him. He brought me to Hosea 2:14-15:

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. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

Here, the LORD is speaking of His mercy to Israel, [and believers as a whole] in our continual whoring out and leaving the Lord for idolatry. This so easily translates to my heart and how He's led me and drawn me to Himself.

I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. - anytime the wilderness is mentioned in scripture, it's correlated with wandering, loss, confusion, waiting, pain, struggle. Over the past 5 1/2 years since graduating college and just trying to figure out life, the Lord has brought me many times into the wilderness. But, never once has He ever left me alone. He's brought me there and He's hasn't stopped the pain. He hasn't removed the heartache and He hasn't ended the tears. He's brought me there and it's hurt. Yet, despite that...His love has prevailed. He has spoken tenderly to me. The word "tender" has brought tears to my eyes. It implies this gentle, intimate care. That's the care of my Father towards me, His daughter. The daughter that He adopted, that He chose, that He brought into His family, that He likes, that He enjoys, that He delights in. For my sanctification and for my good, and in His forever love for me, He's allured me and brought me into the wilderness.

There I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. - This to me is beautiful. In Joshua 7 a man named Achan sinned against the Lord, causing the defeat of Israel. Israel stoned him and killed him and God turned from them in anger. They named that place "Valley of Achor"- a place of trouble and death. The significance of Hosea in this is so wonderful. He makes our Valleys of Achor doors of hope. He brings life to death. He's done that for me. What once paralyzed me with fear and seemed irrevocably terrifying, He's made a doorway of hope. This is healing. I truly am NEVER alone, ever. And, I can have confidence in this life because of Him. As the old hymn says- On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. And like David said in  Psalm 16:8 - "I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken."

And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. - When the Israelites first came out of Egypt, it was a time of great rejoicing. They were rescued and they were freed from a reign of tyranny. Yes, grumbling set in shortly after, but in that first pivotal moment, it was pure joy and thankfulness. This reminds me of Psalm 51:12: "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." It's this aspect of remembrance. Like in the book of Deuteronomy- remember. remember. remember where the Lord has brought you. Remember what He saved you from. Remember that He is good. Remember that He loves you. Remember that He hasn't forgotten you. Remember that He is sovereign. Remember that He alone fulfills. Remember. 


So, that's what I want to do.
As I begin 2013, I want to remember. I want to dwell on His faithfulness and remember His goodness. I want to rest in what is true. He's allured me and brought me to the wilderness, and it's there that He has spoken so tenderly to me. He's taken my fears and my valleys and made them doorways to everlasting and eternal hope and joy. In that, I can remember. In that, I can dwell securely. There is no other place I'd rather be.

Happy 2013. 

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

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