Hebrews 6:19

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.

Psalm 84:5-7

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.^[a]
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca
    they make it a place of springs;
    the early rain also covers it with pools.
⁷ They go from strength to strength;
    each one appears before God in Zion.

These verses describe part of our experience in our journey through life as Christians. It’s worth taking time to read the whole Psalm. The word Baca means ‘weeping’ – this verse can also be translated ‘As they go through the valley of weeping they make it a place of springs, the early rain also covers it with pools’. Everyone goes through at least one such valley in their life, maybe several. However, I think God wants us to know that for the believer, even in a valley of weeping, there are springs and rains of blessings, and that this is not the end of the journey – we will continue on in strength.

Hosea 2:15

“And there I will give her her vineyards
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.”

More can be said about this passage, but what I want to draw out here is that Achor means trouble – the valley of trouble. Here, God will open to us a door of hope! In the midst of our difficulties, God speaks into our heart and life, saying, “Your hope comes from me” (see Psalm 62:5). Maybe he is even saying, “Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double” (Zechariah 9:12). Our hope is not that our circumstances will change in the particular way that we want them to, so that we get what gratifies us; our hope is God himself. Our circumstances may be so difficult that in holding on to God we feel that we are prisoners of hope – there is nowhere else we would go – but God has a way of knowing our circumstances, our thoughts, our ways – and then showing us his thoughts and his ways. Let us put our hope and trust in him.

Lord, my hope comes from you. Thank you that this hope is an anchor for the soul. Thank you that you speak hope even in the valley. You know what you are doing, whatever our circumstances. Please help us to hear your voice and be strengthened, even going from strength to strength. Lord, we trust in you. Amen.