The Valley of Achor

Isaiah 63 :14 "As the beast goes down into the valley and the Spirit of the Lord causes
him to rest. So you lead your people to make yourself a glorious name."

I was tremendously blessed this morning at church. Our Pastor's teachings on overcoming giants is truly the essence of the Christian life. If you will open your spirits and learn about overcoming giants you will be a world changer. Do not think you were called to change the world, for you were not. Does this seem like a paradox? Is that not a dichotomy? Is that not a conflicting statement???? No, brothers and sisters, we were not called to be world changers, we were called to be life transformers. Whose life? We were called to have our lives changed.

We volunteered, we stepped forward and cried out to God almighty, " Take me Lord, take me." "I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I give you my very life, take me Lord and change me. Give me a heart that hungers and thirsts after righteousness, and you will surely fill it. Give me a heart that mourns after those who hurt, and your comfort will flow. Give me a meek heart that I may win the world, give me a merciful heart that has mercy on all mankind. Give me a pure heart that I may see you my Lord. Give me a heart so full of peace that men shall say," surely he is a son of God." Give me a heart, that even when I am persecuted for righteousness sake, still goes on loving this world. Give me a heart that even when men say all manner of evil against me that I rejoice and am exceedingly glad for I can see that mountain to which I strive towards.

Let me be the salt of the earth, let my essence cover that which would die without me. Change me so that I will be a city set on a hill and all those who travel through the valley will be comforted when they see my light, and mankind will glorify you when they see what marvelous works you have performed in me, a willing servant to God and a free man. Free to glorify God in heaven for all His marvelous works in and through me so that when men travel through this dark and lonely valley that they come across the light of Jesus Christ and hope bursts through in their hearts and they know all is not lost and they can make their way towards this city set on a hill, this Jesus, this servant of men, you and I.

Isaiah 63:14 says " As the beast goes down into the valley and the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest. So you lead your people to make yourself a glorious name." We are all walking through the valley together brothers and sisters, all of us and the world too. Trials and tribulations ? Yes, But oh what glory lies before us. No Matter what you face today just remember that we are all journeying towards the glories of heaven and to stand before the mountain of the Lord. We will all ascend to that glorious throne and stand before Him who is high and lifted up. He dwells in the height of glory, and of His majesty there is no end, He ascends forever and ever. And it is from this place that the Lord Jesus Christ came down and walked in the valley. This was a place of pain, a place without hope, a valley laden with sin. And the river that runs through the valley was a river of tears.

Jesus walked through the valley and it led to the high hill of Calvary. And from that momentary lofty place, we meet Jesus and He asks us to return to the valley. He is not asking us to do what He would not and did not do Himself. He came from the glories of heaven to walk in the pain and suffering of the valley. And in this moment of transfiguration, where we encounter the living God in the high place, we decide to die to ourselves and follow in His footsteps. Just as the Father asked Jesus, and the Lord said "send me," so the Lord Jesus asks us "will you follow me, will you allow me to transform you?"

"Sharon shall be a fold of flocks and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down for my people who have sought me." (Isa 65:10)

Achor is translated "tears ," or "trouble." This is the walk we are called to as bearers of the light. We are called out of darkness, into His glorious light, then we are called back into the world from whence we came. Our inheritance is the mountains of joy and eternal ecstasy but we must travel the valley in order to reach our goal. And the road to Calvary is the high road to the mountain of God.

"Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, " our bones are dry and our hope is lost." The prophet Ezekial goes down into the valley and there he finds the bones and the Lord asks him if these bones can live. We are living in a world of dry bones brothers and sisters. Perhaps we have been guilty of thinking that these bones could never live. We look around and we see with our eyes, a world that increases in wickedness. What we are truly looking at is a valley of dry bones. Yet we serve a God that can put bone on bone, that can grow sinew and flesh. If we would cry out, then the breathe of God would come flowing down the valley and His life would enter into that which has no life.

"Therefore I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness and speak comfort to her. I will give her vineyards from there. And the valley of Achor as a door of hope." (Hos 14-18)

Perhaps you are in a hopeless situation today. All seems lost and you are without joy. Trials and tribulations have brought you down low and you feel that you do not have the strength to carry on. You have trouble on every side, your mind is tormented and your strength is slipping. Brothers and sisters, these are the afflictions in the valley, this is the darkness of the valley. Let me tell you the good news, we, as a people, for your not alone, are coming up out of the valley. "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me." Your tears are a "door of hope" brothers and sisters. Walk through that door today and you will lie down beside the still waters, your soul will be restored to you this day, your path ahead will be the path of righteousness. Embrace the trials of the valley as one who knows in whom he has believed. As one who is "confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you is faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Do not run brothers and sisters, turn and face your enemy with boldness.For if we are terrified of our adversaries this is to them " a proof of our perdition," Rather turn and say to them this day "I am a child of the Living God, and even if I die in this encounter, my spirit lives forever in the glories of eternity." " O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" For death is overcome by the blood of the Lamb, by Yeshua my conquering hero.Amen to the glories of Calvary.

You are exactly where you are supposed to be. This is the darkness of the valley, but oh how sweet the light. Walk on and know that you are redeemed of the Lord and He is with you. "Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low."(Luke 5:5) If you will continue to walk with Him, then the mountain shall come to you, right there in the valley. The mountain of the Lord, the realm of peace and bliss will appear as you walk through the door of hope. This is the light in the valley. We offer hope to the hopeless, we say to the dry bones, receive the breath of God and live. In order to offer hope, we must experience it, we must live in it, we must walk in the light of hope.
In the beauty of Holiness
Frank