Saturday, February 26, 2011

Be Encouraged!

This made me tear up. Charlyne Cares Weekly is a free devotional from Rejoice Marriage Ministries. To subscribe to their devotional, sign up at www.rejoiceministries.org.

"Stop Looking At Your Circumstances!"

Are you tired of all the turmoil in your life? Are you tired of all your marriage problems that you are facing today? How often are you tempted to throw in the towel and give up on your marriage ever being restored, since the circumstances seem impossible? Do not be afraid. Trust in your Lord. God can bring good out of your marriage problems, trials or tribulations that you are going through if you will obey the Lord.

Today I was very distressed when I was reading our email. It seemed that every email I opened the bottom line was: "My circumstances are unbelievable." I read email throughout this week that says: "My pastor or associate pastor or counselor or pastor's wife or attorney say that I need to let my spouse go. One pastor said, 'I do not see a future for you and your spouse.' Another pastor said: 'Get a divorce, your spouse has committed adultery. You have the escape clause in Matthew 19.'" I read the next email which said: "I don't think I can handle much more pain and rejection. I was the one that caused our marriage problems so my spouse feels 'justified' and is carrying a lot of unforgiveness." Other standers this week have been saying, "I hurt too much. My spouse says that they are happy and never coming home. My spouse is going to Divorce Recovery. I am too wounded and tired to fight any more. When do you just listen to everyone else and give up? What should I do?"

My prayer is that you will learn to "Stop looking at your circumstances and listening to everyone else, except the Holy Spirit, the greatest Counselor!" I learned at the beginning of my stand it was all about the power of God and God's plan for my marriage and family.

Do you know our testimony? I divorced Bob. I went to my pastor and told him "everything." I told him from beginning to end, even though Bob had repented previously and I had forgiven him. I brought everything back up! I listened to my pastor as he said Bob was never go to change! Yes, my pastor said that. Why? I believe all pastors hurt for the husbands and wives who are going through so many horrible circumstances of marriage problems. Instead of believing for sinners' hearts to be touched and changed and then for marriage restoration, they are giving the hurting spouses an easy way out. They are not living in faith, hope and believing in God's Word for daily living. May you and I always pray for all the Men of God who have such a huge responsiblity being the pastor as the spiritual leader for God's children in God's church.

In reality, Bob did not want the divorce. He was trying to speak reconciliation, but I did not believe him anymore. My heart had become hardened. I had an appointment to go back and speak to our pastor. Bob arrived and our associate pastor told Bob he would have to leave. Bob was devastated. He wanted to talk to both the pastor and myself to work out how we could restore our marriage. The enemy had now blinded me to not believing Bob's heart had softened and was repentant. Just imagine if the associate pastor had taken Bob into his office and opened up God's Word and ministered God's mercy, grace and forgiveness to him. Our divorce may have been stopped forever in 1985. Divorce is still an epidemic in our churches! We need to continue to proclaim to others every day, God does heal hurting and dead marriages!

How was our marriage restored? Bob started dating and going on with his life. But God! Two months after our divorce and me crying out to the Lord every day for the pain in my heart, God sent a couple to our church with a restored marriage. They spoke their testimony to our church family for two services. God is so faithful. He knew my heart and knew I had been deceived by the lies of the enemy, satan. That night my spiritual journey started.

What is the answer for your marriage, your future, your fears, and your hopelessness? Let me share a scripture that the Lord gave me at the beginning of my stand:

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Mark 11:22-25

What I learned and still teach now is that you personally must "Let go and let God" move your mountain of circumstances. You cannot move or beg or manipulate any of your circumstances. Your response is living a life of faith and obedience in what you know you must do by praising and praying daily. Start each day by reading God's Word. Then put the Armor of God on yourself, your husband or wife and children. Always be sensitive and ready to be obedient to what the Lord may tell you to do. For the Maker is your husband for this season of your life.

"Let go and let God" deal with your husband or wife and all your marriage problems you may be facing right now. May I suggest that you lay all your problems at the foot of the Cross and surrender everything to your Lord for Him to handle them in His perfect will and way daily. Then ask the Lord to help you be a lighthouse wherever you may work or play.

What does the Lord say to you right now? Did Jesus die on the cross for all sinners? How can we ever forget about all the miracles our Lord did here on earth? Have we forgotten about the prodigal son and Saul who was touched by the Lord on the Damascus Road and he was changed and transformed into a man of God to preach the Gospel who was previously torturing Christians? (Acts 9). Is anything too hard for God? Our ministers, priests or rabbis are God's messengers to present the Gospel and to minister God's Word to their flock of sheep. Due to their lack of knowledge of marriage restoration, there are some who have accepted divorce in their churches and are putting your marriage into a casket when the Lord is speaking marriage restoration, love, faith, hope and trust to you personally!

Listen to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you over and over again. Seek the Lord for His personal answer for your own covenant marriage. Will you remove all your doubt and unbelief and choose to believe for your marriage, your financial problems, for your teenagers' problems and even for your own health problems?

Do not give up on your Lord God! Do not grumble and complain to your Lord about all your circumstances. He knows and sees everything. May you and I never forget the Word of God as we glean wisdom, knowledge and guidance that we need to apply to our daily lives from its pages. Allow Him to fight your daily battles by you praying and "letting go and letting God" turn your circumstances around to good. You need to believe and deepen your faith, trust, knowledge and understanding of God's mighty power which will help you pick up your cross and follow the Lord all the way to your marriage being restored.

Today do not give up on your Lord God. In fact - stop looking at your circumstances! Yes, you may be hurting and bleeding due to the attacks of the enemy, but cry out to your Lord. Choose to surrender your will and way to His divine plan and purpose in your life and marriage. Never give up on what the Lord can do for your marriage or someone else's marriage you are praying for. Pick up your cross and follow your Lord's instructions. There is victory in Jesus Christ! He will direct your steps into victory. In the future, you will be able to share the power of your Lord Jesus Christ in restoring and rebuilding your marriage to many others if you will wait for your miracle of marriage restoration!

He shall say: "Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Deuteronomy 20:3-4

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