Some years ago, after I filed for
divorce from a physically and mentally abusive husband, I felt very alone and
isolated. I was facing life as a single parent, and I didn’t know which way to
turn. I couldn't believe that I was in that situation, and I became depressed.
I never dreamed that the person I loved so dearly, the person that at one time
made me feel so loved and secure, would cause me so much pain. I blamed my ex-husband
for my misery, but I also blamed God. For a while, I was very angry with the Lord,
because I couldn't understand what I had done so wrong to deserve such a
terrible end to my marriage.
Financial dependency is a very common factor for many individuals that remain
in abusive relationships. It had been one of the reasons that I continued to
stay in my marriage. My ex was always very attentive and kind to our child, but
I finally decided to leave when it was clear to me that it was, for me, a
matter of life or death. At times after the divorce, I felt as though my
survival was still unsure, because I didn't think that I could call on anyone
for help. I felt trapped, and I was still very angry, but I decided I would
have a heart to heart talk with God, and I set aside some time to do just that.
Philippians 4:13(NLT) was a verse that was introduced to me when I was a child,
and it kept coming back to my mind during that time in my life. This verse
declares, "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me
strength." One day I cried out to God, "Where's
the strength You promised me? I can't take this. Why aren't You helping
me?!!!" Later, I was both terrified and thankful to our Heavenly
Father. Despite my disrespect, He allowed my ignorance and anger, and He
patiently taught me to understand that I was strong through Him even though I
felt weak. The more I learned about God, the stronger I became.
I had to admit to myself that I couldn’t hold things together on my own. The
fear of making a mistake kept me on edge and to some degree, it also kept me
seeking God. I was completely helpless, and the grace and blessings He extended
were miraculous. After my divorce, I was at a point where I was either
going to give up or trust our Heavenly Father. I decided to trust Him and to
humble myself under His power and goodness. He helped me through my
hopelessness, and He will do the same for anyone and everyone who will
humble themselves and seek His help.
Sometimes, life leaves us in a position where it seems we have nowhere to turn.
We can’t foresee the future. We don’t know what will happen in our lives from
one moment to the next. Our immediate response when facing this is fear, but in
2 Chronicles 20:1-4 (NLT), our Heavenly Father gives us a better strategy of
what to do. This passage states, "1 After this, the armies
of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on
Jehoshaphat. 2 Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army from
Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at
Hazazon-tamar." (This was another name for En-gedi.) 3 Jehoshaphat was
terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered
everyone in Judah to begin fasting. 4 So people from all the towns of Judah
came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD's help."
Seeking God’s help with our whole hearts is the only way to go. God knows everything there is to know about every individual that is living and has ever lived. He doesn't rush us to trust Him. He waits for us to allow Him to shower His unfailing love and strength on our lives. We must understand that He is always willing and able to help us, and our response to Him has to be one of true humility and reverence. We have to honor the truth that we need God every moment of every day. We can't do anything without His help, and when we have faith in Him, He will fight our battles. Victory and glory belong to God. We will help ourselves tremendously if we put aside our anger and blame, and trust that God loves us and is helping us right this very moment to overcome because our faith is in Him.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
"Help is Here”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2023. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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