Is Your Door of Hope in Your Valley of Trouble?

Is Your Door of Hope in Your Valley of Trouble is a Free Christian Sermon which is part of our Christian Sermon Series. 

Is Your Door of Hope in Your Valley of Trouble?

The Valley of Achor derives its name from Achan. This man had made the entire Israelite army loose its battle against the people of Ai because of he took some of the things that God had said should be destroyed and buried them in his house. (Joshua 7:20)

To learn more read Bible Study Lessons from Failures in the Bible. 

The Valley of Achan therefore, signified a place of trouble. 

However, God through Hosea offers a different perspective for the Valley of Achan for He says, "I will give her ... The Valley of Achan as a door of hope." (Hosea 2:15) 

God continues and says that Israel Shall sing there like in the days of her youth, like in the day when she left Egypt. (Hosea 2:15)

This shows us that good can arise from the middle of trouble.

A good example is the Red Sea when it had trapped the Israelites because they did not have a bridge to cross it and Pharaoh's army was pursuing them. God turned this "Valley of Trouble" into their "Door of Hope" when He parted the waters and the Israelites were able to walk in its midst as the pursuing Egyptians were drowned.

Another example of when the solution of the problem was right in the middle of the problem is when the Jews were facing annihilation because of Haman. In this situation, the "Valley of Trouble" was the palace because it was King Ahaseurus who had sign the decree to destroy them because of Haman's machinations. 

However, the "Door of Hope" for the Israelites was also the palace because Queen Esther was a Jew even though she had not told anyone of her heritage and she was the one who solved the problem for the Jews. 

Therefore the next time you are facing a problematic "Valley of Trouble", ask God if your "Door of Hope" or solution is within it and if it is, ask Him to open your eyes so that you can see it. 

This opening of your eyes is very important because sometimes the solution can be in our vicinity but we cannot see it.

For example, we can see that when Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away, they wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. When the water they had got finished, Hagar placed her son a bowshot away from her because she did not want to see him die.

As she was weeping, God heard Ishmael's voice and God's Angel told her that God would make him a great nation. God then opened Hagar's eyes and she saw a well. She fetched water and gave her son some to drink. (Genesis21:14-19)

Thus Hagar's "Valley of Trouble" which was the place where she thought she would watch her son die of thirst, became her "Door of Hope" when God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water and she received a great prophecy about her son's future.

So today if you are sitting in a "Valley of Trouble" weeping, ask God to open your eyes so that you can see the "Door of Hope" out of your situation.