Standing for Marriage Restoration is a Matter of Faith
One of the most important aspects of standing for marriage restoration is and always will be faith, because if we don’t have faith, we have nothing to stand on and we can NOT please God. Hebrews 11:6 leaves absolutely no doubt about that, because it says And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. And just in case that doesn’t make it clear enough, Hebrews 10:38 says But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” So there’s absolutely NO wiggle room when it comes to the necessity of putting our faith and confidence in the power and promise of God’s Word as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families. John 20:29 says Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” And Luke 1:45 very specifically says Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” But one of the MOST powerful verses we MUST get deep down into our innermost being when standing for marriage restoration is Matthew 9:29, because it reveals just how significant WHAT we believe is; it says Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”….
So when we fill our thoughts, hearts and spirits with the discouraging, painful and negative details of our circumstances; focusing on every wrong and hurtful thing our spouses have done in the past and continue to do (or not do) and every angry and hurtful word they’ve said, or live in dread, doubt and fear because of their proposed plans, Jesus warns that we shouldn’t be too surprise when the results are not what we want (confirming Job 3:25); even if we’ve spent countless hours praying for marriage restoration. And that’s confirmed in Matthew 21:22, which says If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” But Mark 11:24 takes that even further and says Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
One reason faith and believing creates such a problem for most standers is that we don’t understand the significance of James 2:26, which says As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. That means that when our thoughts, words and actions don’t line up with the Word of God and what we profess to believe, our faith is powerless and worthless, because it is dead. IF we believe the promises of God’s Word and in His power and faithfulness to bring everything He says to pass, then our actions should reflect that faith instead of being so contrary to it as they so often are.
When we really get how important faith is as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, there are a few passages of scripture we really need to take to heart and learn to rely on. One is Romans 10:16-17, which says But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. So when we struggle with faith and DOING what the Word of God tells us to do as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and even the salvation of our spouses, the ONLY way to change that is to get serious about reading, studying and understanding the Word of God; especially since there’s a demonstrable correlation between the desire men and women have for a greater understanding and reliance on God’s Word and marriage restoration.
Another very significant verse to help increase our faith is Romans 8:28, which says And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. What an awesome and powerful promise! That means that NO MATTER WHAT WE SEE OR HEAR, NO MATTER WHAT OUR SPOUSES DO, SAY OR PROPOSE, if we truly love the Lord and are living our lives according to His Word, God will work it ALL out for good! And we have to understand that there are NO exceptions or exclusions provided in that promise; so no matter what it is, no matter what happens, no matter how bad, terrible or wrong it is, GOD WILL TURN IT ALL TO GOOD WHEN WE LOVE HIM AND ARE LIVING ACCORDING TO HIS PLAN AND PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES!!! And one of the most amazing, powerful and encouraging examples of that is found in Genesis 50:20, where Joseph told his brothers You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. And even though it is not what we want to hear because of our desire for instant gratification and impatience with the things God is using to mold and shape us into vessels for His glory as He did with Joseph; Joseph had to persist and remain faithful and HUMBLE through many years of hardship and disappointment before the Lord raised him up in such a mighty way. But we can be sure that God will lift us up in DUE time when we resist the dictates of our flesh and pride and humble ourselves under His mighty hand ( 1 Peter 5:5-6) Yet, on the other hand, when we give way to the dictates of our flesh and pride, God actually opposes us, and we surely can’t afford that!
Another important passage for us to keep in mind as we consider living by faith is Proverbs 21:29-31, which says A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways. There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD. So the bottom line is that NOTHING can succeed against the Lord, so it doesn’t matter how our spouses feel, how they act, what they say or do, and what they plan or believe, because in the end it is God’s will and plan that will prevail! And the following verses are just a few that confirm that:
Proverbs 16:1 – To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.
Proverbs 16:9 – In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Proverbs 19:21 – Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
Jeremiah 10:23 – I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
Isaiah 46:10-11- I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 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.
Job 42:2 – “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.
Isaiah 14:27 – For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
Numbers 23:19 – God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Isaiah 55:1011 – 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 we come full circle right back to the importance of reading and Studying God’s Word, because if we don’t know what the Word says, we can’t really put our faith, hope and confidence in its power and promise. So I really appreciated Lorraine Ezell’s
“And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”
Mark 4:40
The scripture above is Jesus’ rebuke to the disciples after He calmed the wind and waves on the sea. He asked them why they had “no” faith- not a “little” faith, but none. If they had had faith they would not have been so fearful of the storm. They would not have believed they were going to drown. If they had had faith, they would have said to one another, “Jesus told us we are going to the other side. What He says always comes to pass. Going to the other side means that we are going to arrive at our destination, it doesn’t mean that we are going to die— the storm is not going to kill us because Jesus said we are going to the other side.”
When we have faith- real faith- the situation, our feelings, what we see, what we hear from others, what is happening around us doesn’t effect us. Let the storm rage, Jesus said we are going to the other side. Let the boat fill up with water, Jesus said we are going to the other side. Let the situation look fearful, Jesus said we are going to the other side. Let the wind beat upon us, Jesus said we are going to the other side.
Faith is not moved by exterior circumstances. Faith is not moved by natural occurrences. Faith is moved by God’s word. It’s faith in what God said– not in what I see, not in what I feel, not in what I hear from other sources. My faith is founded in God’s word– in the fact that He is not a man that He should lie; in the fact that He is faithful as promised; in the fact that He is God and will watch over His word to perform it.
Whatever you are going through this morning– if the Lord has spoken a word to you–hold on to that word. Put your faith in what God has said, it’s His promise to you and you can put your faith and confidence in His ability to make it happen.
Have a great day. If He said it, it doesn’t matter what happens— you are going to the other side.
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell and it’s sent by email free of charge for the asking from About the Master’s Business Ministry, Inc.
So please feel free to call Lorraine at (601) 833-5278 or E-mail her at mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
And you can visit her on the web at MastersBusiness.org.