Divorce to Healing: Finding Peaceনমুনা

The Lord is Here

The last thing you would expect to hear someone tell you when you are going through a divorce is to rejoice.

How could I be so insensitive to say that? Am I nuts? Is that any way to help someone looking for an answer on how to heal? How is this going to help me find peace?

In Philippians 4:4, Paul tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord always....". It doesn't say rejoice in your situation or in how you feel. It means to have an attitude of contentment in your relationship with Jesus no matter how dark things may seem to be right now. He always wants us to be able to rejoice in Him.

In verse 5, we are told to make our gentleness or reasonableness known to everyone. I know that can be tough to do, but God desires for you to be a reflection of Him.

You are hurting, and some wounds need healing. He is being gentle with you. He is being patient with you, even when you feel like you are missing the mark. He wants us to show the same courtesy to those around us, even those who have caused us pain.

Also, in verse 5, Paul is telling us that the Lord is with us!!! Hallelujah!! You are not alone!! You may have lost a spouse, your best friend, family, children, and even other relationships, but the God who created you is here with you.

Interestingly, the verse says, "...is at hand". Part of me sees this as an invitation of a hand reaching out to grab your hand. He wants to lift you up and touch you in a way that brings comfort with enough strength to take another step.

Take a few moments and ask yourself, can I rejoice in the Lord? Do I see and feel Him gently comforting me while trying to make sense of it all? Am I fully aware that He has not left me or forsaken me in my time of desperation? What thoughts do I need to change?

It has been almost 20 years, but I can still remember being right where you are, desperate for God to move and just bring me a small measure of peace. It hurt so badly, yet I realize now that God gently took my hand. He helped me to stand and led me down the path He wanted me to walk.

As you continue through this plan, God wants you to see Him as your joy and support. He desires to be there in every area so you can have the peace you desperately need to move forward. At the end of our time together, you will see how God will use all of these actions to lead you with His peace.