Rebuilding Ruins: Restoring H.O.P. E. After Divorce a 6-Day Devotional by Kelly A. FosterSample
Day 6: There is Hope.
The acronym H.O.P. E. has guided this journey of rebuilding your ruins after divorce. Through it, you have learned to:
Honor the journey and release the dream.
Optimize healing by focusing on you.
People are a blessing.
Explore your interests.
I pray that this devotional is an encouragement to you. It was birthed through my own lived experience when I was deep in the trenches of uncertainty and pain. I was wrecked with anxiety sometimes to the point of shaking uncontrollably. From the moments when I could not find peace or rest as I slept. When the parasympathetic nervous system of my body seemed to be fighting against me, God performed a miracle. He slowly but surely began to rebuild in me everything that was broken. He showed me how to embrace my ruins and see them as pieces of the past left behind to remind me of God’s faithful promises. From those ruins, God would rebuild a new me. From the barren places tested through fire and shown to not withstand, the God of the universe would restore hope to me right there.
But this isn’t just some isolated event; God has been restoring hope since the beginning of time. You and I join a community of Biblical greats who experienced mental anguish, depression, isolation, and anxiety due to their trials. God has restored hope for David, Job, Elijah, Jeremiah, and even Jesus. How much more does he plan to do for you?
Let my experience be an eyewitness testimony for this moment in your life. It will not always feel this terrible. The same things will not always trigger you. You will not always feel that pit in the bottom of your stomach. Intrusive thoughts will not always consume you. God will diffuse your anger. God will strengthen you to forgive. God will heal your heart. God will show you how to build healthy and healing relationships. You will find your refuge in Him alone.
It takes time and intentionality, but God will rebuild the ruins of your life, and you will hope again.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, you are all that I need. You have proven your love and commitment to me over and over. I trust this journey that you have me on and your presence with me most. Rebuild the ruins of my life that divorce has caused. Restore the hope that I so desperately crave. Renew my heart and mind so that I can walk in your ways. As I walk with you, I promise to share my story so that others can know there is a God who saves, rebuilds and restores hope. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.
Reflection Question:
- How has God been faithful to you in the past? Will you allow that testimony to speak life into your current situation?
If this 6-day devotional has been a blessing to you and you’d like to go deeper with these principles, I invite you to join my 30-day “Deeper” prayer challenge. (https://www.subscribepage.com/30daydeeper)
Scripture
About this Plan
The day you marry, you never consider that the life you’re building could be destroyed. The ruins left are a reminder of what you’ve been through. God uses everything for your good. He intends to rebuild your broken places. Over the next six days, you’ll find God’s restoring H.O.P.E. after divorce. You’ll be encouraged, validated, yet challenged to seek healing while God does the hard work of rebuilding ruins.
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