When my husband first left me, I quickly realized that in order for my faith to become strong for the healing of my marriage, I must spend more time in the Word of God. I knew wisdom was applying what God says about any given situation. Therefore, I knew I must read and study the Word until it became such a part of me that when situations arose, I would not only know what His will was, but how to apply His Word.
I found a Bible reading program which took me through the Bible in a year by reading chapters in the Old and New Testaments, Psalms and Proverbs every day. To my amazement I fell in love with the Old Testament, which I had never fully understood. The words on the pages truly came alive to me and spoke to my spirit.
First, God used Genesis 18:14 to encourage me. The Lord spoke to Abraham and asked, “Is anything too hard for the Lord,” when He told Abraham he and Sarah would have a son. I saw that if Abraham and Sarah, “who were old and well-stricken in age,” could conceive and have a son, my marriage was not too difficult for God to heal. If God can revive a dead womb, He can resurrect a dead marriage.
Next, I began to understand that how God delivered the Israelites from bondage could be applied to the fight for my marriage. In Exodus 3:7-8 the Lord told Moses, “….I know their sorrows.” I was greatly comforted by these words and understood that God was in this fight with me, promising deliverance, just as He delivered the Children of Israel.
Day after day and chapter after chapter I read examples from the scriptures that I could apply to my own situation. By the time I got to the book of Nehemiah I felt like I was standing alongside him, rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.
I saw that Nehemiah, a cupbearer for the king, was a godly man, full of wisdom, and a man of prayer. The first chapter of Nehemiah, verse 4, says when he learned how the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates burned, he “sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven.”
I learned an important lesson; I saw that I must use wisdom and not make decisions too quickly. I observed Nehemiah weeping and mourning for his people and the condition of Jerusalem. However, this godly, wise man not only prayed, he fasted before speaking with the king about his desire to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. As a result, the king granted Nehemiah’s request to be away, while also providing the materials needed to rebuild the wall, along with letters of introduction, timber, captains, and horsemen.
Nehemiah faced many struggles and much opposition upon arriving in Jerusalem but met these challenges with prayer and determination. What a godly example and guide for those of us standing for our marriages!
When told of Nehemiah’s plan to rebuild the wall the people responded by saying, “Let us rise up and build” (chapter 2, verse 18). As a result they quickly rebuilt half the wall and replaced the gates.
Nehemiah exhorted the people by saying, "Don't be afraid of our enemies. Remember how great and awe-inspiring the LORD is. Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
Placed together as families, the people worked with one hand while protecting themselves with swords, spears and bows held in the other hand. If help was needed, the trumpet was blown and the people rallied together to fight. Verse 20 of chapter 4 says "At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." NASB
If I had read no further, the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem in fifty two days was sufficient to encourage me to persist in my stand for my marriage.
Just as help was readily available for the Children of Israel at the blowing of the trumpet, there is help available for you.
Join us at the sound of the trumpet!
Written by Marilyn Conrad
