When Trouble Becomes a Door of Hope

When Trouble Becomes a Door of Hope

Week 2 – Stones of Remembrance Series

There are moments in life we’d rather forget. Times when we failed, when we sinned, when everything fell apart. But what if even those moments could become stones of remembrance—not just for our failure, but for God’s faithfulness?

This week in our Stones of Remembrance series, we’re in Joshua 7—the story of Israel’s shocking defeat at Ai.

They had just seen the walls of Jericho fall. Victory seemed guaranteed. But instead, they were driven back in defeat. Why? One man—Achan—had secretly taken what God had clearly forbidden. No one knew… except God.

And God’s anger burned.

It’s uncomfortable to hear. We’re not used to thinking about God's wrath. But Joshua 7 confronts us with a truth we can’t ignore:

God takes sin seriously—because he takes us seriously.

When Achan confessed, he laid bare the whole slippery slope: “I saw… I coveted… I took… I hid.” (Joshua 7:21)
It sounds a lot like our stories, doesn’t it?

But here’s the surprising twist: this story of judgment leads us toward grace. In Hosea 2:15, God says something extraordinary:

“I will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.”

The place of trouble becomes a passage to healing.

How? Because one day, God's red-hot anger against sin was poured out—fully and finally—not on us, but on his Son at Calvary. And in that moment, his white-hot love burned even brighter. A door was opened that no failure can shut.

So yes, the Valley of Achor was real. So was the defeat. So was the death.
But so is the forgiveness. So is the door. So is the hope.

This Sunday, we’ll lay another stone. Not to remember our shame, but to remember our Savior.

Come walk through that door with us.
Worship begins at 9:30 AM.