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[The Point: Sometimes, the only path to peace is straight through struggles.]

In Hosea 2:15 God says "I will make the valley of Achor a door of hope."

Many years ago I read a book entitled "Door of Hope"; it pointed out that the Hebrew word "achor" means "trouble". So, what God may have *really* been trying to say to us would have been, "I will make the valley of trouble into a door of hope."

Ask yourself, when is it that we need hope most often? Right: in the Valley of Trouble. Perhaps God is saying that it is that very trouble itself that He will use as a door of hope for us. How many times have we prayed for people, that God would show them their need of Him. So then God leads them toward the Valley of Trouble. And then we step in to try and lead them away from this Valley! Yet, their only hope, the only true door out from their circumstances is there: in the Valley of Achor.

Too often we fight against God Himself by telling others and ourselves to stay out of Achor. Over and over again we try to "help" people, by removing the "trouble" that they find themselves in....

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