"I will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope." (Hosea 2:15) The Hebrew word for ‘Achor’ means 'trouble or suffering.' The Lord never sends us through a valley of affliction without providing hope. Hope to buoy us along the journey. Hope in the midst of great pain. Hope through His presence. We learn to hear His whispers when we draw close to His heart. Like a well-trained athlete, the Lord knows we are bettered prepared when we are 'shut up' to him, away from the crowds with single focus and purpose. In our pain, He provides a door of hope.
This became very clear to me when going through cancer. On the morning of my first oncologist visit, I was feeling down. Not knowing what the road ahead of me would entail, my soul was feeling orphaned. That morning Susanne realized I was not myself and asked me what was going on. I told her I just needed hope. So, we joined hands, bowed our heads, and offered a simple prayer to the Lord requesting Him to lift our hearts with hope for all that we would face.
We arrived at the Cancer Center, and the horror story continued. Sitting in the waiting room felt like being in some type of holding area between life and death. They finally called my name, and the medical side of the journey began. The nurse introduced herself, weighed me in, and then took a picture of me. I thought, well, this is so they can see what I looked like before the horrors of treatment.
The nurse said, “Mr. Ivy, I am your nurse. I will be your contact for your Oncologist. Whenever you have a question, call the office and ask for me. Whenever there is a lab report to inform you about, I will be the one calling you.” I thought, this lady is going to be important. I know she told me her name, but I was in such a state of bewilderment that I did not remember it. So, I looked at her name tag, but it was turned around backward. So, I ask, “Excuse me, what did you say your name was?” She looked down at her tag and turned it around and said, “Hope… my name is Hope!”
My jaw dropped. With tears streaming down my face, I looked at Susanne and said, “Baby, can you believe this? We prayed and asked the Lord for hope, and he sent me a nurse named HOPE.” It was her first day on the job. The Lord had orchestrated a demonstration of His great care for my shaking soul. For the next year, when I called the clinic, I asked to speak with Hope. When they called and left me a message, it would begin with, “Mr. Ivy, this is Hope!” God provided a reminder of hope in an unforgettable way.
The Lord is always on the side of His children. Even when we go through great trials, He is near. In our darkest hour, in our valley of Achor, God will provide …A Door of Hope!
