Happy Sabbath, friends! In this life, we were never promised freedom from trials or hardships. What we were promised, though, is a Savior who loves us unconditionally – so much so that He died to save us from our sins.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 (NIV)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 (NIV)

We will face struggles in this world – that is inevitable. In those moments, our human tendency may be to shut down, give up, or walk away. Yet those responses don’t lead us closer to Jesus. Our Heavenly Father knows our weaknesses, but still calls us to come to Him. In His presence, He offers hope and strength to endure.

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:17–18 (NIV)

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 (NIV)

Sometimes, our journey leads us through what Scripture calls the Valley of Achor – which means Valley of Trouble. In Hosea 2, the Lord reveals His heart for us in those seasons:

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Hosea 2:14–23 (NIV)

“Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

“In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’ I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.

In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.

I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.

“In that day I will respond,” declares the Lord— “I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

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This passage spoke to me deeply during my devotionals on healing this week. Notice what the Lord does first: He does not scold her for wandering into the wilderness. Instead, He speaks tenderly to her. Our Savior is full of compassion. He lifts us up, restores us, and guides us back onto the right path.

Then He promises to “give her back her vineyards.” Vineyards symbolize joy, abundance, and life. How beautiful that even in our trouble, God promises restoration! The Lord then declares that He will turn the Valley of Trouble into a door of hope. In other words, every hardship we face can be transformed by His hand into a place of renewal, if we allow Him to lead us.

When He mentions Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, I think of how Egypt represents captivity and despair. Just as He led Israel out of Egypt, He leads us out of our valleys of trouble into freedom and hope.

And then comes one of the most tender promises of all:

“In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’” (Hosea 2:16)

This shows the kind of relationship God desires with us. He doesn’t want our connection to Him to be based on fear, distance, or mere obligation. He longs for intimacy with His people – closeness marked by love, covenant, and faithfulness. To call Him “Master” speaks of servitude, but to call Him “Husband” speaks of cherished love and devotion.

It moves me deeply that the Creator of the universe wants that kind of relationship with us. Not cold religion, but warm intimacy. Not just rules, but covenant love. He is faithful, loving, and tender, longing to restore what was broken and draw us near as His beloved.

What moved me most was His promise: “I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

This brought me to tears, because I too have stumbled and fallen. There are times I’ve felt unworthy of love, even convincing myself that I wasn’t worthy to be a child of God. But this passage reminds me – and all of us – that no matter our past, our mistakes, or our struggles, God calls us His own. He clothes us in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. He opens a door of hope even in the darkest valleys.

So if you’ve ever felt unlovable or worthless because of your past, know this truth: those feelings are lies. The Word of God says you are precious, loved, and priceless in His sight.

“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.”
Isaiah 43:4 (NIV)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)

Just as God led Israel out of Egypt, He will also lead you out of your Valley of Trouble. Let Him guide you to the door of hope. My prayer is that you will choose Him daily and be transformed by His endless righteousness, justice, love, and compassion.

Amen.