Acres of Hope

ACRES OF HOPE

by Shane Barnard and Robbie Seay

He will allure her
He will pursue her
And call her out
To wilderness with flowers in His hand
She is responding
Beat up and hurting
Deserving death
But offerings of life are found instead

She will sing
She will sing
Oh, to You
She will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead her away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

Here in the valley
Walk close beside me
Don’t look back
For love is growing vineyards up ahead
You have called me master
And though you’re in the dark here
Call me friend
And call me lover and marry me for good

She will sing
She will sing
Oh, to You
She will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead her away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

How the story ends is
Love and tenderness in Him
Not safe, but worth it
So the valley’s up ahead
Or the ones we live
We’ll sing together
We’ll sing together

We will sing
We will sing
Oh, to You
We will sing as in the days of youth
As You lead us away
To valleys low
To acres of hope
Acres of hope

“Lord, sustain me in the valley. Give me ears to hear Your sweet tender voice and lead me in to acres of hope in this dry and weary land.”

"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert 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 sing 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.' 

-Hosea 2:14-16

When The Tears Fall

When the pain is seemingly insurmountable. When hopes and dreams, like delicate flowers, slowly begin to reblossom, only to be trampled and blown by another torrent of sorrow and loss and despair. When longings and desires leave us desperate and thirsty and empty handed once more:

His Love is greater still.

And although we may not see, and although we may not understand, His Hand is still upon us. 

As we go about our days. As we move from place to place. His Love doesn't leave us. 

He does not abandon us. 

And the ache we feel and carry with us is a steadfast reminder that this is not our Home.

And as empty handed as we are, we lift them up to praise Him. And we are blessed beyond measure. Filled with Hope and Peace beyond what we could ever understand. He meets us in our suffering, and we begin to identify with the Cross more and more. We are purified, renewed, healed, and redeemed.

And adorned with the HOPE that one day we will see His complete REDEMPTION with our very eyes. 

And He will wipe every tear away. 

15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple; and he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Revelation 7:15-17

Mighty Wave