Out of the Ashes

When all hope is lost we must turn our eyes to the Lord.

A marriage in spiral is likened to a forest fire. Do not loose hope because God can change the circumstances at hand. As long as both parties are alive there is hope and that hope is through Jesus Christ.

Guys I hate to say it but our wives have been carrying our families through tumultuous times and this should not be. If an intruder broke into your house would you maintain your position in front of Monday Night Football being apathetic to what is going on as your wife and children are tormented? If you would answer no to this why then do you sit back finding other things to do when the enemy comes in where you should be fortifying your family by seeking God and getting into the word (putting on the armour- Ephesians 6)?

We are the first line of defense. As fire fighters try so desperately to put out a fire or at best control the situation, we need to be doing the same. If we have fallen short, do not despair for God can restore.

Look at a forest fire. After a forest fire has happened you see acres and acres decimated, charred, smoldering and what looks like a place without hope. After a few years comes new growth from the ashes, stronger more fruitful and more nourishing than what was originally there. Forest fires are a part of life burning off all of the dead brush and junk that cannot or has not been cleaned up.

Marriage is very much the same way. There are little things in our marriage that get under our skin about our spouse or our children or even our extended family from both sides. If we are not willing to clean up these issues God will do it for us. When this happens we look at it in great despair and hopelessness as if nothing can happen to restore what was lost.

Here is the truth, God is a refining fire (Proverbs 17:3). God wants to see your heart pure and sometimes that requires the stripping away of everything you think is good because He has something better. It is only after you go through the forest fires of life and stand strong will you look back and see the new grow God has in you and your marriage, your family and your relationships will look so much better than what you were living.

Reading through Job you notice he was stripped from everything; family, friends, belongings, health, marriage-everything. He had times were he was in such great despair that he was close to giving up, but remembered that his ONLY hope was in GOD alone. Many tears were shed, then you get to the last couple chapters of the book. God tells Job's friends that He would utterly destroy them if they do not repent, bring a sacrifice to Job to offer to God and ask Job to pray for them.

Something very interesting happens at this point. As Job is praying the dynamics of HIS situation changes because he pleads to God mercy over the lives of his friends. He could have so easily allowed bitterness to control the demise of his friends, but instead he allowed God to heal his heart so he could pray mercy over them and in return God blessed Job more abundantly then all he initially had for his heart was pure.

If you are going through a rough time in a relationship whether it is your marriage, children, friends, or parents pray God to have mercy on there lives. That is when God will show up in your life as in Joel 2 God will restore that which the locust or the devour has stolen from your life and bring in you new growth to finish the race strong.

CAL