Well, dear Golden Years Sister ~ Your terrible temptation has certainly kept my prayer life active this week. As promised, I prayed for you and yours all this week; and God had plenty to say in return. I hope you won't turn a hardened heart to His responses but will come to see that He is "secretly plotting for your good" if you will only lean to His understanding and run from your own.
For the rest of you, please know that my sister is wrestling with the ultimate moral issue of our generation . . . Divorce. The enemy has certainly found a highly successful secret path to sin in the one area our Savior treasures most. How would I know that? Because in His tender Word, He tells me that my earthly marriage is the mirror of His to me -- and a model of His devotion to His church family. How Satan must gloat to God that marital commitment among spouses in His own family is just as dim and marred and broken as that of spouses who are not yet part of His family. How Jesus must grieve to see nearly half of His family torn apart each year one household at a time.
As I was praying for my Sister and her unbelieving spouse of 30 some years this week, pastors on every radio station and through every devotional were speaking directly to the heart of this highly rationalized sin of entitlement, of disobedience, of bitterness and unforgiveness.
Divorce -- the abortion of mature emotional, spiritual, and physical union -- is the Valley of Tears that truly reveals for us and in us everything for which God allows us to endure a trial. It reveals my true love (me). It reveals my true faith (weak). It reveals what I truly believe about the Power of my Commander in Chief and His WORD. (inneffective). It reveals my own spiritual strength (weak and unwilling to exercise). It reveals my true motives (self-ish) and my perspective (temporal). Feel free to add to these from your own testimony . . . These are just mine. These revelations are especially grim when viewed from the mountaintop of our spoiled-rotten American culture, which gives us permission to indulge in all of these carnal attitudes of the heart.
What CAN we do to resist the temptation to leave our lawfully and spiritually wedded spouse, especially if they appear to be at best indifferent to us and to the ministry of marriage. If the battle is won in the mind and in the heart; then we must, dear Christian Sister, give our minds and hearts over whole heartedly to the Holy Spirit of God.
Here, in that humble place, softened by the Love and Mercy of God where we bend our knee and our will, we are reminded to "think on these things . . . " Do you know what they are? Do you know what they aren't? Here we may be asked, "What if this is the only ministry I give you while you are here?" "What if this is the one thing I wanted you to do well for Me?" "What will be your testimony of this trial for others?"
Wherever you find yourself on this painful path today, Dear Sister (and Brother), I promise you there is no rainbow or relief when you reach the end of Divorce Drive. It is the DEAD end of all dead ends. God has paved no blessings into this boulevard. Mercy, forgiveness, and regret may be the best from God that you get.
What's the worse that could happen, dear Sister, if you devote yourself for this lifetime as you promised to someone you already once cared for and whose only heaven may be right here on earth? That you might leave this moment of a life without a lovely romantic memory? Will you really pursue that sentimental mirage only to lose an eternity of, "Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant?"
You've written a verynice piece... God bless you. But it should also be understand that the sisiter should take into consideration that if her husband left her, she is not responsible for his leaving. And fi she left her, whatever was her casue she all but has to do is repent and move on, becasue God has forgiven her of her sins.
The dear sisiter must also hold fast to what Paul has written in I Corinthinasn chapter 7, and be relieved her pain of divorce, a divorce is not the death of her life as a Christian godly woman... there is much more to lving than a divorce.
So she has serious need to pull herself up by the word of God and her own strength and mind, and get her life back together again with the help of the Lord
She is NOT BOUND by the decision her husband made to divorce her, usually another woman is involved... Nevertheless, the dear sisiter should know that God has someone special for her, if she desires someone, and she should put all of herself into the ministry God has for her.
Hear what Paul has to say and tell the dear sister to find comfort in these words, and know that her pain is just a stepping stone to her strength in Christ and in herself. And the pain, well... this too shall pass, but it can only pass when she has turned it all completely over to the Father, and be healed in the powerful percious name of the risen Savior Jesus Christ.
But she CANNOT afford to keep herself in bondage over a divorce or thinking less of herself as a godly woman, just becasue she is divorced.
Hear the word of Paul the Apostle:
I Corinthians chpater 7: 10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. 12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Now this is GREAT NEWS FOR MEN AND WOMEN WHO GRIEVE OVER THEIR DIVORCE... LIFT UP YOUR HEADS OH YOU GATE AND BE LIFTED UP, AND THE GLOLY OF THE LROD WILL SHINE IN!:glow:
Say good bye to the pain and the one who caused you pain... why are you still married in pain in your mind, heart, soul and spirit to someone who is gone, and he/she has moved on with their lives to cause pain to someone else...:zzzz::nahnah: tell the dear woman to wake up otu of her sleep... there is a new day dawning...new life new beginnings.
Nice piece... thanks for sharing:dancingp::party::peace:
I realize this is a general pice, just thought I would add my 2 cent maybe you will be inspired to write something from the point of view I have stated to give even more encouraging to those who may be heart sick over a divorce...good inspirational writing...
Thanks for your thoughtful reply! Was hoping this one might get more attention . . . hmmm maybe I put it in the wrong topic area? Hope you'll check out my history, as I've been sharing with the Forum for quite a while! Glad to meet you here as well! God's best, Lovely Sister!
