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A Resurrected Marriage Story 5: But God

A Resurrected Marriage Story Day 5: But God

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6, ESV)

When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:17-18, ESV)

If for no other reason (and there actually were other reasons) for going through that season of our marital break, learning to experience and know God in an intimate, new way was reason enough. If you’ve not walked through a really deep valley, you may not know the God of the storm. While I was wrestling with loneliness at times, I absolutely knew I was never really alone. He was always there with me and made His presence known.

I had moments of desperation that led me to prayer. They were not just words spoken from a place of comfort, but those heartfelt pleas that only God could make sense of, spoken face-down on the floor of my bedroom. I always wonder at those who aren’t followers of Christ—how do they manage those gut-wrenching moments in life? Silence. That’s all they have when they are conflicted with thoughts, fears and questions. How precious it is to know Someone is listening, interested, invested and compassionate. 

I think of King David and how intimate his relationship was with the Lord. Many of his psalms were written from a place of vulnerability—helpless pleas to his Father. It’s in these moments that God reveals Himself to us in a special way. Many of you reading have experienced this in your life as you wrestled with your own personal trials. The moments I’ve felt closest to the Lord have been times of adversity and heartache. 

God is always at work, even when we don’t see the results we long to see. That’s sometimes hard for us to lay hold of when we are praying, yet not seeing any progress. Some prayers may not be answered in the way we hope, and sometimes we are called to wait. Had God moved in and immediately resolved our broken marriage, we would have skipped right over some really valuable lessons. I needed to learn how God can be trusted even when my life was a mess and nothing seemed right. I needed to learn patience and compassion for others who would face similar trials. And I needed to remember that God was in control—not me.

God was working in the life of my husband while I waited. I didn’t really know it at the time, but simple things he would see or hear would call him to repent. If you are praying for something specific right now and feel discouraged because God seems silent, don’t doubt that He is working while you’re praying. I am not saying this from a place of promise that God will say “yes” to whatever you desire. But I can say that when you surrender to Him and trust Him to work in your situation, He will bring about what’s best. I struggled for a long time with wanting my desired answer to prayer, but there came a time when I surrendered to God’s plan for me—whatever that looked like.

Our God of the storm is a wonderful Friend. He’s so gracious to us and exercises great patience as we wait for direction.  As tempting as it is to plead for immediate action, try instead to pray for obedience. Pray for clarity as you listen for God’s Word to direct you. Open your heart to the possibility that what lies ahead may be starkly different than what you left behind. But know this: when we obediently follow the Spirit and surrender to the purpose He has for us, what’s ahead isn’t something to fear, but rather something to embrace. 

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Kurt Petterson

    Another great blog Ruth. In the darkest and deepest times, He is there-always. Love you.

    1. Ruth

      Thank you, Dad. Love you:)

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