Glorifying God by Trusting and Obeying Him While Waiting for His Best! by Dan Spitz
Note from Linda: Dan posted this on the private website yesterday, and since it’s so profound and a truly important principle for all of us to grasp as we wait for God’s Word to be manifested in our lives and marriages, I included it in the “Restoration Principles” section of the private site and asked his permission to share it here! So I hope and pray that you’ll all take it to heart and be blessed and encouraged as you focus on how truly powerful and faithful God is, and how miraculously He works in our lives and circumstances when we simply trust and obey Him!
As I was reading a devotional this morning, I couldn’t help thinking how it applies to our stand for marriage restoration. The author used the circumstance of Zacharias and Elizabeth to demonstrate their unwavering obedience and trust in God’s faithfulness and how He rewarded their trust in Him.
We’re all waiting for God to restore our covenant marriages, and we know God’s Word about marriage and divorce. We also know that we’ve been called to stand as we trust and obey God. Yet, many I talk to have experienced times of doubt and fear that God won’t restore “their” marriage–even though they know He can and does restore marriages. In fact, many standers I’ve known over the years have given up and “moved on.”
So we’re very much like Zacharias and Elizabeth, who wanted something they did not have. They were married, but they didn’t have any children because Elizabeth was barren and now they were too old. Since childlessness was considered a disgrace in that time, they could have become angry with God for not giving them what they wanted most…as standers sometimes end up doing. However, as Luke 1:5-7 (NKJV) tells us, they were both righteous before God and walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. So instead of becoming angry or fearful, Zacharias and Elizabeth chose to obey and follow God and trusted Him to take care of them; they intentionally chose to be faithful and trust that God had a plan.
It isn’t wrong to want something we know God wants for us, but we sometimes get so focused on what we want that we become afraid or angry about not getting it. Needless to say, the enemy loves it when we get to the point of giving up and decide to move on in the ways of the world. And we’ve all probably heard the worldly advice of others (even within the church); including things like “You deserve better…just move on…God has someone out there for you…there’s no way you could ever forgive your spouse.” So if we’re not in the Word and our focus is not on God’s will, we could easily be deceived into going the way of the world. That’s why we can’t ever forget that God is ALWAYS faithful! Therefore, we have to trust that God will give us His very best and that He will take care of us; even if what “we” think is best doesn’t happen–especially in our preferred time. He will in deed provide all we need, when we need it, and even more abundantly!
As the Bible tells us, God had an amazing plan for Zacharias and Elizabeth. In addition to giving them a baby when they were way too old to have a child, God didn’t just give them a baby…He gave them a very special baby boy! And when their baby, John, grew up, just as prophesized, his preaching prepared the way for Jesus! In fact, here’s what Jesus said about Zacharias’ and Elizabeth’s baby boy in Matthew 11:9-15 (NKJV):
9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’
11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.
So as we wait for Him to heal and restore our marriages, let’s glorify and honor God by trusting and obeying Him just as Zacharias and Elizabeth did. And let’s make the most of our circumstances and this season of our lives by spending time with God, praying, reading and meditating on His Word and enjoying the power of His presence in our lives! When we do that, God will most assuredly shine His light in and through us to show His truth, love, grace and mercy to others. When we trust and obey God, He will ALWAYS make everything work together for our good (Romans 8:28) and His glory as HE gives us His best!