Enjoy this devotional written by a FlourishWriter’s Student…
The words popped onto my phone while I sat in my office. It was a text from my husband, but what an appalling message. I reasoned that he must have been drinking again. Driving home from work that sunny afternoon, I felt troubled by the words in that text. I resolved to check my phone records.
When I uncovered the truth behind the strange text message, I went into shock. My husband was having an affair, and the other woman had been in his life for ten years! Confusion, fear, and dread became my constant companions as my world fell apart.
How could this happen to my forty-year marriage? We were born again Christians who had accepted Jesus and chosen baptism together decades earlier. We had three amazing children, three grandchildren, and a fourth on the way.
Through prayer, God led me to a strong marriage counselor of faith. She offered a plan to repair our broken marriage, but it would take commitment on our part. Sadly, her plan was immediately met with opposition from my husband. Within weeks, he stopped attending sessions, closed himself off emotionally, and turned to self-medicating drugs and alcohol. My feelings of rejection plummeted to an all-time low.
An all-out spiritual war was raging against me. The comforting words of Psalm 46 reminded me that, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (ESV)
God is with us in the midst of our storms.
As my storm intensified, I realized that my fight was not against flesh and blood, but against unseen evil powers of this world. (Ephesians 6:12) The Holy Spirit intervened. During a Bible study, my pastor’s wife called out a prayer against the powers of evil and darkness. I received the laying on of hands. God was in my storm, fighting my battle. I would be safe.
We have an enemy. He is a roaring lion. seeking out whom he might devour. However, when you know you are under God’s protection, there is nothing to fear. God provides a canopy of protection against the powers of evil and darkness. God is your covering. He is your secret place. You can take refuge under His wing.
Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs to it and is safe.” (NAS)
Through prayer, my church, family, friends, and my beautiful Christian counselor, I came to understand the love of my Savior and His thoughts concerning my situation.
First, God gave each of us free will. Restoration of my marriage required work. My husband had the choice to work on our marriage if he wanted to.
Second, I realized that if I had put God first in my marriage, I wouldn’t have fallen when my husband fell. God would have held onto me. (Psalm 37:24)
Third, my counselor pointed out that God is my heavenly husband. God would be there for me even if my husband wasn’t. Isaiah 54:5 promises, “For your Maker is your husband – the Lord Almighty is his name – the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.” (NIV)
The Bible is clear that God never intended for the union of marriage to be broken. But because of the sin nature of our fallen world, Jesus allows for divorce under certain circumstances. I had biblical grounds for divorce, but for over a year I waited and prayed for my husband to show that he was vested in the outcome of our marriage. Sadly, that day never came, and my health could no longer endure the brutality of the storm. My way out of the storm would have to be through the agony of divorce.
Metaphorically speaking, my counselor described me as a sandcastle that was crumbling from the current of the relentless tide. It was a fierce battle. In the end, I lost my job, my husband, and my house. However, I walked away with my life, and God’s promise of restoration. (Joel 2:25)
During my battle, God delivered comfort and security by using other believers to bring me messages of hope, such as: “Angels are all around us,” and “God will provide.” These messages were beacons of light in my fleeting moments. There was no doubt in my mind that God dispatched “His angels charge over me.” (Psalm 91:11)
Comfort, love, and security followed me into my new life. God’s message of provision came to pass. My dear mother-in-law provided me with a lovely home; I have a precious little grandson who fills my days with unimaginable joy; my car was traded in for a more reliable one; and I have a remarkable support system of family, friends, and my faithful dog.
Jesus alone can offer us a “Shelter” in the storms of life. His name is our “Strong Tower.” He is the place of safety which God promises to those who run to Him. God never said that life would be absent of storms, but He did promise to be a shelter during those times. When we are secure in Christ, we will withstand the storms of life. We will not be caught off guard when we cast our cares on Him.
“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” Psalm 59:16 (NIV)
Lori grew up in the warm San Fernando Valley of Southern California where she met and married her high school sweetheart. In the summer of 1987, they relocated their family of five to the lush green state of western Washington. Over the span of twenty-plus years, Lori was employed as an executive assistant in education, paper and lumber, bio-fuel, health care, and recreation. Today, Lori spends her days caring for her two-year-old autistic grandson. Her passions are her family, friends, traveling, reading, writing, cooking, art, design, fashion, and spending time with her long-haired dachshund, Rudy.
