As Christian’s standing for the restoration of our marriages, we all want God’s results, because His Word tells us that He hates divorce and that HE will uphold and defend the covenant of our marriages (Malachi 2 and 1 peter 3:7). And Isaiah 46:11 makes it very clear that God will do whatever it takes to make HIS plan come to pass in our lives, because it says From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. But we have to BELIEVE that to receive it and be able to walk in the victory it GUARANTEES us as we stand WITH God for the restoration of our marriages. And we also have God’s assurance that He will bring those words to pass in Isaiah 55:10-11, which says As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. So that means that we can count on God to honor and back up His Word just as surely as we can rely on the laws of nature! Now with that in mind, we need to go back and very carefully read Malachi 2 again, because that IS what God is going to do and NOTHING will keep Him from doing it; nothing that is, other than our lack of faith and obedience. But the good news is that God even has a way of bringing us around to that too!

And we know we have to DO what God’s Word says based on many passages of scripture. But one of the most misunderstood and significant passages of scripture that best illustrates the difference between Christians doing things God’s way or the way of the world is Luke 6:46-49, which is about The Wise and Foolish Builders as follows:
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

If that doesn’t describe standing for marriage restoration, I don’t know what else does; because when we DO things God’s way, we GET His results. But when we do things the world’s way, we get the world’s results, which is nothing but divorce and heartache for our families and children. So HEARING God’s Word WITHOUT putting it into practice is totally useless, and that’s what determines whether our marriages will be built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ or end in divorce and complete destruction!

So we all have to decide if we want God’s results or the World’s results, and then WE determine the outcome by being obedient and PUTTING INTO PRACTICE what His Word teaches us about marriage and restoration. And if we decide to follow the world’s wisdom and do things the world’s way, we should not be at all surprised when we get the world’s results. Just as we see testimonies of day after day, every day in the FAM Fellowship, relationships and marriages ARE being miraculously restored by simply walking out God’s plan for restoration, and the credit and glory is God’s and His alone! It’s not easy, but it is well worth the desired result, which is the complete and total healing and restoration of our marriages and families! God’s Word shows us the way we’re to go, but each one of us has to decide whether or not we’re willing to trust Him as He leads us through to victory! Like Joyce said in one of her messages recently, we can’t use a pattern for a coat and expect to make a dress! In the same way, we can’t do things the way of the world and expect to get God’s results. And we can’t do a little of God’s way and little of the world’s way and expect God to honor that either. The following Heart To Heart message was posted by Dan on the men’s private website yesterday, and even though it’s pretty short and simple; it makes a very significant point to everyone standing for marriage restoration. So thanks, Dan, for letting me share it here, because everyone who reads and understands it is bound to be blessed and encouraged!

One of my daily devotions today used Psalm 9:10 as the scripture for the lesson, which says Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. And I would like to share the message written by Camilla Madding from South Carolina.

She told the story of how her friend Debbie, blind from birth, depended on her guide dog, Leader, to take her where she needed to go. Holding his harness, she would give the command “Forward.” and he would guide her to her destination.

One afternoon, Leader and Debbie set out for a walk. After a bit, the dog deviated from their usual course, slowed down, turned the “wrong” way, and even led her through a thick hedge! Frustrated, when she stopped, Debbie asked someone, “Can you please tell me what happened/”

The woman answered, “Your dog is amazing! That parking lot he safely led you around is covered with broken glass.”

How confused and stressed Debbie must have been as she was being led somewhere other than where she was familiar with and wanted to go, especially being unable to see or understand why. And I’ve heard other stories of how guide dogs have protected their owners by guiding them out of harms way.

Even though we are not without sight, with the exception of a couple of you, who I’m sure may better understand having to trust others to lead you, we don’t have the same vision that God has for us (Isaiah 42:16). Some times we are blinded by our emotions, situations or the enemy. And there are times when we don’t understand why things are not happening quickly or the way we want them to, especially when we see what appears to be a direct path to the desired change in our circumstances. But we can be thankful that God is our loving guide who leads us through every obstacle encountered in our lives. He knows all the situations that surround us, and He knows all the escape routes, because He created them (1 Corinthians 10:13). So we must put our trust in Him to be our guide and lead us to the restoration of our marriages, because He knows the plan and the only course that will get us there, and we don’t (Proverbs 16:9)! Amen!

Posted Friday, June 29th, 2007 at 6:23 pm in Seeds Of Faith.