“… I will give her [Israel] back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor [trouble] a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt” (Hos. 2:15 NIV).
The land of Egypt from which the Israelites were delivered is a type of sin to us living under the New Covenant. When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you too, “came up out of the land of Egypt”—out of the bondage of sin. But since then, perhaps you have found yourself wandering in the wilderness, so to speak, troubled by the tests and trials of life with no hope of a better tomorrow.
We know that God doesn’t lead us into tests and trials. But tests and trials come to all of us at one time or another in life. Jesus said, “…In the world ye shall have tribulation…” (John 16:33). But in the same verse, He also said, “…but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
God wants to bring you out of the wilderness and make your valley of trouble a door of hope! The Bible says that under the Old Covenant, God led the Israelites out of Egypt like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock (Ps. 78:52). The Shepherd who safely led the Israelites out of Egypt and ultimately into their Promised Land is the same Shepherd and eternal Hope who gently guides His flock today.
God said in Hosea 2:14 that He would speak comfortably or tenderly to His people in the wilderness. Through His Word, God is still speaking tenderly to His people today. You may feel like you’re going through a dark tunnel because of a test or trial that has beset you.
But there is an end in sight! God is saying to you, “Do not fear. Just follow Me and trust Me. It may seem dark, but I know the way, and I will guide you and lead you out.”
As you walk obediently with the Lord step-by-step, His Word will be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path (Ps. 119:105). And if you will trust in God’s unfailing Word, then even in the midst of tests and trials, He will keep you safe on paths of pleasantness and peace that lead onward to victory (Prov. 3:17).
Will you take hold of the hope set before you in God’s Word? The Bible says, “…thanks be unto God, which ALWAYS causeth us to triumph in Christ…” (2 Cor. 2:14). Through your faith and obedience to His Word, God can make your valley of trouble a door of hope and expectation. He can bring you out of your dark tunnel of difficulty into a spacious place where rich blessings await you. He can bring you from trouble to triumph!
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
Kenneth W. Hagin, President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries and pastor of RHEMA Bible Church, ministers around the world. Known for calling the Body of Christ to steadfast faith, he seizes every ministry opportunity to impart an attitude of “I cannot be defeated, and I will not quit.”
Rev. Hagin began preparing for his call to ministry—a ministry that now spans 50 years—at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. He graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Faith Theological Seminary in Tampa, Florida.
In his early years of ministry, Rev. Hagin was an associate pastor and traveling evangelist. Later, he went on to organize and develop RHEMA Bible Training Centers in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and in other countries around the world.
Kenneth W. Hagin’s array of responsibilities also includes International Director of RHEMA Ministerial Association International. He hosts the annual A Call to Arms® Men’s Conference, and with his wife, Lynette, cohosts RHEMA Praise, a weekly television program, and Rhema for Today, a weekday radio program broadcast throughout the United States. They also conduct Living Faith Crusades, spreading the message of faith and healing around the world.
Recognizing the lateness of the hour before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Rev. Hagin has expanded his speaking schedule beyond his regular pastoral duties. To fulfill the urgent call of God to prepare the Church for a deeper experience of His Presence, Rev. Hagin delivers messages that reveal key spiritual truths about faith, healing, and other vital subjects. He ministers with a strong healing anointing, and his ministry leads the Body of Christ into a greater experience of the glory of God!
Kenneth W. Hagin and his wife live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the son of the late Kenneth E. Hagin.