The truth was, THIS ONE MAN’S SIN CAME AT A COST
It came at the COST OF 36 PEOPLE’S LIVES!
It was because of Achon’s Sin that they LOST THE BATTLE OF AI
36 Israelites DIED at the BATTLE OF AI
This is towards the level of JUSTICE
It was not a TRIUMPHANT KIND OF JUSTICE
It was NOT A HAPPY MOMENT
They name the place where this JUSTICE is carried out THE VALLEY OF ACHOR
Achor means “TROUBLE” or “SADNESS” or “DESPAIR” or “SHAME”
It is NOT A GREAT MOMENT
The Valley of Achor is the VALLEY OF OUR SHAME
The Valley of Achor is the VALLEY OF OUR TROUBLE
When you read this, read it from the perspective of the People of Israel
Here is the justice that must be doled out
It is NOT A HAPPY MOMENT
NO ONE considered it to be a HAPPY MOMENT
When we read through THE EYES OF FAITH, WE SEE THAT
When we read through THE EYES OF CYNICISM, WE CANNOT SEE THAT AND WE WILL NOT SEE THAT
Later on we will read the Book of the Prophet Hosea
Hosea Ch 2: God says, “I will take your Valley of Achor (your Valley of Trouble, your Valley of Shame) and make it into a DOOR OF HOPE.”
Here is what The Lord can do!!
God can transform the LOW POINT in people’s lives that NO ONE WANTED but HAD TO BE DONE
God can TRANSFORM THAT LOW POINT INTO A DOOR OF HOPE
Can YOU do that? I can’t…
We need to RECOGNIZE that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US HAS A VALLEY OF ACHOR
Maybe it’s something someone has done to us
Maybe it’s something we have chosen (Oh man….If you only knew 😩)
We brought upon ourselves TROUBLE
We brought upon ourselves SHAME
We brought upon ourselves something that WE ABSOLUTELY HATE ABOUT OUR REALITY, ABOUT OUR LIVES
Well Hosea PROMISES that even that LOW POINT that we think WILL HAUNT US FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES, THE LORD GOD SAYS, “Actually, that’s not true.”
“I can take this Valley of Achor and I can transform it into a DOOR OF HOPE.”
We all have a Valley of Trouble
We all have a Valley of Shame
We all have things in our past that have wounded us and continue to linger and HOLD ONTO US
SO SURRENDER THAT TODAY
GIVE GOD PERMISSION
“Ok, Lord, I give you permission. Transform my Valley of Achor, my Valley of Trouble, my Valley of Shame, into a DOOR OF HOPE. I surrender to you. YOU CAN CHANGE IT.” |
