p. 16 | A Door of Hope by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 9, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 23.

A Door of Hope

By Editor

“A Door of Hope.”—In our Missions department will be found a short statement by the secretary of “The Door of Hope for Homeless Women.” There are thousands of such women in these seaport cities, many of whom have lost all hope, and go on sinning in sheer despair, their life a life of bitterness. God told to sinning Israel: “I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.” Hosea 2:14, 15.

What is “the valley of Achor”?—It means the valley of trouble, the place where Achan was stoned, who brought such disastrous defeat upon Israel through sin. See Joshua 7. The very name became a synonym of trouble, and sorrow, and despair. So have been the lives of many of these homeless women, lives of trouble, valleys of Achor. But God says to each of them, “I will allure her into the wilderness,” away from old associations; “I will speak comfortably to her;” He will make the valley of trouble a “door of hope.” Had the path been all sunshine, many a soul would have never sought its Saviour. God leaves them to self, to sin, that they may see its true nature, anguish, and trouble; but in the dark valley, aye, even its deepest darkness, He sends His ministering angels, who allure by the truth and comfort by the Spirit, the penitent, hopeless, homeless souls of the valley. Thus the very trouble opens the way to hope. May God in His mercy bring, in the valley of trouble, many a poor wanderer to “The Door of Hope for Homeless Women.” Who wants a part in the work?