In The Valley Of Achor There Is This Door

My devotional reading yesterday was from the second chapter in Hosea.  That book is so strongly heart wrenching, but I love reading it because every time God uses it to show something to me.  It is almost like the whole thing to me is like that moment when Nathan was telling David the story of the rich man who took the poor man's lamb and David got all upset about it....then Nathan rebuked David by telling him the story was about him.  I get so angry with Hosea's wife, Gomer, and then God brings it around to me to open my eyes to an area of rebellion or sin in my own life.  It is amazing that it is a story about Hosea....that is a story about Israel....that is a story about me.....and you.  I think when something is this true it's like those mirrors that you can keep seeing in forever.

Yesterday, I was drawn into the section that talks about God alluring Israel into the desert to speak tenderly to her.  After all that has been described about her unfaithfulness, you'd think He would take her into the desert to finish her off, but He doesn't want to destroy her, He wants to win her back.  He very purposefully removes, destroys, or blocks her from everything that has become an idol to her and everything she has run after and takes her to a place where there is nothing left, but Himself.... THE ONE WHO TRULY LOVES HER....so she can see Him clearly again.  Then, He (very gentlemanlike :) opens a door for her.

"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.  There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.  There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.  "In that day," declares the Lord, "you will call me "my husband"... ~Hosea 2:14-16