God restored our marriage

[David]

Since we shared the reconciliation of our marriage testimony on our website, a number of people have written sharing their stories of marriage separations and pending divorce and asking for prayer. Over the past weekend I felt directed of the Holy Spirit to study and pray about something I had thinking over - "Dark Times Of Life"

Times of hurt, pain loneliness and more specifically; relationships that fail or end in divorce. You know from reading our testimony of how God restored our marriage.  We both have much to thank God for each day. But, daily, I read and speak to so many folks that are going through such emotional pain.

I read Psalms 139. This stuck out to me. Dark Times Of Life
Don’t know if you ever work a Night Shift job, I did many years ago. It was different. Life was different. People even had a different kind of life style. When I was aware my friends and family were sleeping. We lived in two different time zones -two different worlds Do you ever feel that way? You’re out of step with everyone else?

Psalms 139:11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me; The light around me will be night;â€
12 Even the darkness doesn\'t hide from you, But the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.

“The darkness is like light to you†David says. It was dark for him, but not for God!

God works very well in the dark! What is seemingly the darkest for you and me is still light to the Lord. God work very well in the dark! Then I thought, “Well, what do we do in the darkest night of our life? It came to me this way.

I CALM DOWN
Pray and offer thanksgiving to the Lord as Paul spoke in Philippians
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.
God is still in control.

II WISE UP
We need to stop asking “WHY†and start asking “WHATâ€
What can I learn? What can I become? What can I do?â€
We need to stop saying “it’s not fair.†I have learned that “Life is not fair many times – But God is Good.†We need to stop comparing ourselves with others. It only causes resentment.

DO get a perspective of seeing our situation through the eyes of JOY
James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers when you fall into various temptations,(trials)
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
When we get a history with God (of what He has done and how we trusted him in the past) look back on it and say. â€He will do it again.â€

Perseverance is like a muscle: The more we exercise it the stronger it becomes.

III PRESS ON
We all do well to stop look over our past. Past hurts, pains, disappointments. Like Paul says:
Philippians 3:13 Brothers, I don\'t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

This tells me to pursue after God. His plan. His will.
Tells me to live right –righteous, right living even in the “Dark Times Of Life.â€
Keep the main thing the “Main Thing.â€
Keep active for God. Stay in church. Stay in fellowship with the people of God. Stay in a Bible study. Stay busy in the helping the needs of others.
Increase, not decrease prayer and Bible study.

Live ONE DAY AT A TIME! Find humor in the moment Practice stress relievers. Walk, ride a bike, sing, play a guitar, piano or what ever you can play. Do your hobbies or take up a new one.

What ever you do. Refuse to give up. On October 29, 1941, U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Harrow School to hear the traditional songs he had sung there as a youth, as well as to speak to the students. This became one of his most quoted speeches, due to distortions that evolved about what he said. The myth is that Churchill stood before the students and said, "Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up." Then he sat down.

Thanks for stopping by the board and also, not really knowing all the background of your marriage it would be hard to comment about what you should do at the present time, but God knows and He will guide you if you seek Him and ask Him to work out His will in your life and the life of your spouse. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Keep looking up. God loves you and so do we and we’ll hold you up in prayers

P.S.  In order to post a new message or reply you first need to REGISTER. Simply click on the word “Register†at the top of the page and fill in a brief form. That’s all. The reason for having a board that requires registering is this controls all the spam and porn that comes with having an “Open Board." Only registered members can post and reply to messages. Your name and email will not be used for any another purpose and will not be sold or made available to anyone. Use your name or make up one for the board. Just be sure to write it down as you will need it to logon each time you come to the DBM Board. After you register I\'ll send you your Board ID you selected and your password you selected by email. So be sure your email is correct and working. I\'ll activate your account and notify you via email as I mentioned. Then, come back to the board and logon. Look forward to seeing you on the DBM Marriage Reconciliation Board. DB

[Christopher]

God is amazing.  I stumbled onto your website today, read your latest article... Just what I needed to hear at just the right time.

My wife and I are separated and she is in a hurry to get a divorce.  We are both long-time Christians with a strong faith in the Lord.  We've had difficulties, but when she said she was "done" and then I learned there was another man... I was totally blindsided.  Started praying like crazy, expecting the Lord to turn things around in a matter of days.  It's been three months now.  I'm meeting with her tonight for the first time in weeks.  I fully expect her to detail her plans for divorce - including dividing up property.  At the same time, I know God is in this.  I so want reconciliation and am praying fervently in that direction.  But most of all, I'm clinging like mad to Him.  He's carrying me through this like a sack of wet cement.  Wow... is He faithful.  Thanks for the encouragement.  It really (r-e-a-l-l-y!) helps. 

[David]

From Christopher:

God is amazing.  I stumbled onto your website today, read your latest article... Just what I needed to hear at just the right time.

My wife and I are separated and she is in a hurry to get a divorce.  We are both long-time Christians with a strong faith in the Lord.  We've had difficulties, but when she said she was "done" and then I learned there was another man... I was totally blindsided.  Started praying like crazy, expecting the Lord to turn things around in a matter of days.  It's been three months now.  I'm meeting with her tonight for the first time in weeks.  I fully expect her to detail her plans for divorce - including dividing up property.  At the same time, I know God is in this.  I so want reconciliation and am praying fervently in that direction.  But most of all, I'm clinging like mad to Him.  He's carrying me through this like a sack of wet cement.  Wow... is He faithful.  Thanks for the encouragement.  It really (r-e-a-l-l-y!) helps. 

Christopher,

Keep encouraged.  What I have learned from our reconciliation is that it takes a lot of inter personal conversation between each of of the partners to discuss and understand what caused the separation in the beginning.  Linda and I would meet at Starbucks for coffee and talk for a long time.  It took 6 or 8 months of this for us to try to understand.  We never meet for any physical encounters we just left that area alone.  We would talk and we read the book " Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren.  It helped us so much to be able to talk about areas of our individual lives.  No pointing fingers at each other but just accepting areas of our individual short coming.

Keep the faith brother.   God is able.

EPHESIANS 3:14-21

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.   

Vines’ Dictionary says the phrase “exceeding abundantly” is the Greek “huper-ek-perissos” which means super abundantly. More than we need. More than we can even think or dream about.

The word “exceeding” comes from the Greek preposition #5228 “huper” which means over and beyond, superior to, and more than is required. It is used in compound words throughout the New Testament to express God’s excessive benevolence towards His children.

How much blessing does He want you to have? Luke 6:38 answers, “...good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over (#5240 “huperekchuno”), shall men give into your bosom.”

How much victory do we possess in Christ? Romans 8:37 says that, “...we are more than conquerors (#5245 “hupernikao”) through Him that loved us.”

How much grace does He bestow? Romans 5:20 states, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (#5248 “huperperisseuo”).”

How great is His peace? Philippians 4:7 answers, “And the peace of God, which passeth (#5242 “huperecho”) all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

How much power can we have operating in our life? In Ephesians 1:19, the Apostle Paul says that we can know, “...what is the exceeding (#5235 “huperballo”) greatness of His power to us-ward who believe...”

How much hope does He want you to possess? Romans 15:13 in the Amplified says that we should be, “...overflowing, bubbling over with hope.”

He is a God of excessive power, excessive grace, and excessive peace.

The Concordant Literal New Testament’s translation of Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do super excessively above all that we are requesting or apprehending, according to the power that is operating in us...”

We must learn how to walk in the excesses of God, how to stretch out our faith and contend for the supernatural blessings of God that exceed anything that we have heretofore experienced.

Excessive is defined as that which goes far beyond the usual, to be extraordinary, exorbitant, extravagant, overabundant, and too much.

He is the God of “too much.” He is the God of abundance.  Amen Christopher.  Be praying for the two of you.