A Door of Hope in the Valley of Trouble - One Year Devotions for Women

Achan son of Carmi, one of Zerah’s descendants, brought disaster on Israel by taking plunder that had been set apart for the LORD. - 1  Chronicles 2:7

When we’ve brought trouble on ourselves through our own bad choices, there may seem to be no way out. While some may try to hide or ignore their sin, it is far better to confess to God and ask him to show us a door of hope in our valley of trouble.

Achan’s epitaph in the chronicles of the Jewish nation is that he “brought disaster on Israel” by violating the ban on taking devoted things from Jericho (1 Chronicles 2:7). God required that his people destroy some cities without taking any plunder for themselves. But one man disobeyed.

It all began with Achan’s “greed need.” He saw, he coveted, and he took (Joshua 7:21). Achan tried to bury the consequences of his actions, but his sin found him out. His wrongdoing affected himself, his family, and Israel, and resulted in death in the valley of Achor, the valley of trouble—for “Achor” means trouble.

We can be sure that whatever disobedience we try to hide has been discovered by God. It will only be a matter of time until our sin affects others. Yet God is a God of forgiveness and reconciliation. He promised: “I will . . . transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope” (Hosea 2:15). When we admit and deal with our hidden sin, God will open a door of hope right in the middle of our valley of trouble. Then the choice is ours to walk through that gateway into the blessing of his love and forgiveness.

For Further Study:& 1 Chronicles 2:7; Joshua 7:1-21

Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.

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