Lord, Why Is This Happening?
So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." ...When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" John 11:14-15,32-37
Why? Why did Jesus not go immediately and respond to Mary and Martha's message asking for Jesus to come and help Lazarus as he was sick? Why did Jesus wait until Lazarus had been dead for four days before he went to see his close friends? The answer is simple, but very complex for you and me to understand and to live through waiting periods of God's timing. God had a much bigger plan, purpose and lesson for everyone to see and learn about Lazarus and for millions or billions to read about two thousand years later in the Bible.
I used this very powerful story about Lazarus in John Chapter 11, which is packed with feelings and emotions from the beginning to the end, for a special purpose today. I know how your emotions and feelings are swaying from one side of the pendulum to the other, in just an hour! I pray that you will read this devotional prayerfully, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart about your own feelings and emotions. Jesus understands. He went through His own emotions and feelings many times while He was here on earth. May I remind you of the Garden of Gethsemane when He agonized with God, pleading for His cup of sorrow to be removed.
Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:38-41
Mary, Martha and Lazarus were very close friends of Jesus. When Lazarus became seriously ill, the sisters had seen and knew Jesus' power in healing, so they sent for Jesus to have Him pray to God for divine intervention in healing their brother. Would you not expect Jesus to go, also? Of course! But God, had a much different plan and purpose in how Jesus was to handle the circumstances. May I interject, that God sees all your pain and suffering. He wants to do something greater for you, your spouse and family if He waits for His perfect timing in restoring your marriage. What are you to do while all of these circumstances of marriage problems are happening?
You must serve the Lord daily with His strength, His love, His joy and peace that are beyond understanding. This is one of the main secrets in standing for your marriage to be restored. Let me share a powerful scripture that you should memorize:
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9
God hates divorce. God hates sexual immorality, adultery and the sinfulness of this world. God teaches us in Genesis, His plan of a husband and wife being united and then children will be born. God teaches about His love, His power and His righteousness. Jesus Christ came down to pay the ultimate sacrifice for all sinners and show the world that He came to seek and to save the lost sinners. That is such Good News for you, your spouse and all your loved ones. So why would you give up because your spouse has not turned from their sinful ways right now? Are we not to believe and speak the Word of God and wait for the answers to your prayers?
Yes, I understand that your pastor or friends may be saying to you, "Get on with your life. Let Go and Let God. They will never change. Look at what they are speaking and doing!" What has the Lord been saying to you and remember, not to your loved ones and friends?
When I was so confused and I did not know what to do, that is when the Lord started speaking to my heart. I knew that the Holy Spirit was speaking to me about my marriage. Yes, my family, our church family and the people at my office thought I had lost my mind. Now look at what we have been able to do in helping people around the world! Do not limit God in healing your marriage! Don't give up on God because of the delays, the denials and the waiting period. Go and read about Abraham and Sarah in Genesis Chapter 18. You will be blessed and encouraged with God's divine hope!
What is your question today? Why is God allowing you to go through so much pain and suffering? I believe it is like looking at Job's life and seeing that God has a plan and purpose for your marriage and spouse that are far greater than you can ever realize as He can use your witness and marriage restoration for generations in your family or for people around the world in the future.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
When you slam a finger in a drawer, you are immediately trying to stop the pain. Now that you are facing severe marriage problems or a divorce, you are also trying to fix the marriage problems, wanting to stop the pain and suffering that you and your loved ones are going through.
Let me caution you again today to not live by your emotions and feelings. Do not look at your circumstances. You must walk and speak faith every day, regardless of what is happening right now. Your spouse could be touched by your Lord this next hour! So what should you be doing now?
I have learned that the Lord wants us to praise Him in the darkest hours, thanking the Lord that you know that He is in control. Thank Him that He is moving the walls of unforgiveness, hostility, and anger from you and from your spouse's heart every day. We must live a life of trusting the Lord, expecting and waiting for the Lord to move your mountains of circumstances. Do not give up on God or stop standing or be swayed by what your spouse is saying or doing. God can move the mountain suddenly. Walk in faith. Remember Lazarus.
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." John 11:38-44
How many times standers will say to us, "If I knew for certain that my spouse would come home, I would wait." I then ask the stander, "Since the beginning of your marriage problems, what has the Lord been speaking to you?" All of the dear standers whom I have talked to, tell me about God speaking to them as they type the word "divorce" in the computer, or in a dream, or God speaks to their heart showing them the road of marriage restoration. But then the enemy comes and tries daily to steal their faith, trust and hope. Satan replaces all their positive feelings and emotions with hopelessness, doubt, unbelief and fear. You must choose whom you will serve, the Lord or the devil, Satan.
"Show me your ways, O LORD , teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:4-5
Ask the Lord to guide and direct your every step to keep you on the right pathway to get your marriage rebuilt and restored by the power of the Holy Spirit. Regardless of all the mistakes you have made, God can take the messes that you have made and make your paths straight. All you need to do is lean on Him, learn from Him and follow Him to do everything His way!
Are you on the right pathway or are you on a detour road? That detour road will have many signs from the Lord saying: "Stop, Turn Back, Danger Ahead" or many other signs of warning. You must listen for His voice, seeking His will and way, not doing everything your own way!
I have learned from experience that you do not want to live by looking at your circumstances, by living by your emotions and by your feelings. They can change daily or even hourly. Learn to give all your troubles to your Lord, casting all your burdens on Him. He is the only One who can change everything.
Never forget that your spouse was tempted to live by their emotions, their feelings and then by allowing their mind to wander from God's plan of marriage. Your spouse, at this moment, is only thinking of their own feelings and emotions. They are not considering the consequences that their sin is causing their spouse, their children and all the pain and suffering.
Believe for your Lord to go speak to your spouse to come out of the prison of sin, take off their filthy rags and put on them the robe of righteousness as Jesus walks them to the Cross telling them about His Blood and then back to their waiting faithful spouse!
Why is this happening? Your marriage problems are to be removed, healed, your love reignited and your marriage rebuilt on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Your marriage will become a lighthouse for many others to see there is hope as God heals hurting and even dead marriages! Never stop believing in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Believe and obey,
Charlyne Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." ...When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" John 11:14-15,32-37
Why? Why did Jesus not go immediately and respond to Mary and Martha's message asking for Jesus to come and help Lazarus as he was sick? Why did Jesus wait until Lazarus had been dead for four days before he went to see his close friends? The answer is simple, but very complex for you and me to understand and to live through waiting periods of God's timing. God had a much bigger plan, purpose and lesson for everyone to see and learn about Lazarus and for millions or billions to read about two thousand years later in the Bible.
I used this very powerful story about Lazarus in John Chapter 11, which is packed with feelings and emotions from the beginning to the end, for a special purpose today. I know how your emotions and feelings are swaying from one side of the pendulum to the other, in just an hour! I pray that you will read this devotional prayerfully, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart about your own feelings and emotions. Jesus understands. He went through His own emotions and feelings many times while He was here on earth. May I remind you of the Garden of Gethsemane when He agonized with God, pleading for His cup of sorrow to be removed.
Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:38-41
Mary, Martha and Lazarus were very close friends of Jesus. When Lazarus became seriously ill, the sisters had seen and knew Jesus' power in healing, so they sent for Jesus to have Him pray to God for divine intervention in healing their brother. Would you not expect Jesus to go, also? Of course! But God, had a much different plan and purpose in how Jesus was to handle the circumstances. May I interject, that God sees all your pain and suffering. He wants to do something greater for you, your spouse and family if He waits for His perfect timing in restoring your marriage. What are you to do while all of these circumstances of marriage problems are happening?
You must serve the Lord daily with His strength, His love, His joy and peace that are beyond understanding. This is one of the main secrets in standing for your marriage to be restored. Let me share a powerful scripture that you should memorize:
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9
God hates divorce. God hates sexual immorality, adultery and the sinfulness of this world. God teaches us in Genesis, His plan of a husband and wife being united and then children will be born. God teaches about His love, His power and His righteousness. Jesus Christ came down to pay the ultimate sacrifice for all sinners and show the world that He came to seek and to save the lost sinners. That is such Good News for you, your spouse and all your loved ones. So why would you give up because your spouse has not turned from their sinful ways right now? Are we not to believe and speak the Word of God and wait for the answers to your prayers?
Yes, I understand that your pastor or friends may be saying to you, "Get on with your life. Let Go and Let God. They will never change. Look at what they are speaking and doing!" What has the Lord been saying to you and remember, not to your loved ones and friends?
When I was so confused and I did not know what to do, that is when the Lord started speaking to my heart. I knew that the Holy Spirit was speaking to me about my marriage. Yes, my family, our church family and the people at my office thought I had lost my mind. Now look at what we have been able to do in helping people around the world! Do not limit God in healing your marriage! Don't give up on God because of the delays, the denials and the waiting period. Go and read about Abraham and Sarah in Genesis Chapter 18. You will be blessed and encouraged with God's divine hope!
What is your question today? Why is God allowing you to go through so much pain and suffering? I believe it is like looking at Job's life and seeing that God has a plan and purpose for your marriage and spouse that are far greater than you can ever realize as He can use your witness and marriage restoration for generations in your family or for people around the world in the future.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
When you slam a finger in a drawer, you are immediately trying to stop the pain. Now that you are facing severe marriage problems or a divorce, you are also trying to fix the marriage problems, wanting to stop the pain and suffering that you and your loved ones are going through.
Let me caution you again today to not live by your emotions and feelings. Do not look at your circumstances. You must walk and speak faith every day, regardless of what is happening right now. Your spouse could be touched by your Lord this next hour! So what should you be doing now?
I have learned that the Lord wants us to praise Him in the darkest hours, thanking the Lord that you know that He is in control. Thank Him that He is moving the walls of unforgiveness, hostility, and anger from you and from your spouse's heart every day. We must live a life of trusting the Lord, expecting and waiting for the Lord to move your mountains of circumstances. Do not give up on God or stop standing or be swayed by what your spouse is saying or doing. God can move the mountain suddenly. Walk in faith. Remember Lazarus.
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." John 11:38-44
How many times standers will say to us, "If I knew for certain that my spouse would come home, I would wait." I then ask the stander, "Since the beginning of your marriage problems, what has the Lord been speaking to you?" All of the dear standers whom I have talked to, tell me about God speaking to them as they type the word "divorce" in the computer, or in a dream, or God speaks to their heart showing them the road of marriage restoration. But then the enemy comes and tries daily to steal their faith, trust and hope. Satan replaces all their positive feelings and emotions with hopelessness, doubt, unbelief and fear. You must choose whom you will serve, the Lord or the devil, Satan.
"Show me your ways, O LORD , teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:4-5
Ask the Lord to guide and direct your every step to keep you on the right pathway to get your marriage rebuilt and restored by the power of the Holy Spirit. Regardless of all the mistakes you have made, God can take the messes that you have made and make your paths straight. All you need to do is lean on Him, learn from Him and follow Him to do everything His way!
Are you on the right pathway or are you on a detour road? That detour road will have many signs from the Lord saying: "Stop, Turn Back, Danger Ahead" or many other signs of warning. You must listen for His voice, seeking His will and way, not doing everything your own way!
I have learned from experience that you do not want to live by looking at your circumstances, by living by your emotions and by your feelings. They can change daily or even hourly. Learn to give all your troubles to your Lord, casting all your burdens on Him. He is the only One who can change everything.
Never forget that your spouse was tempted to live by their emotions, their feelings and then by allowing their mind to wander from God's plan of marriage. Your spouse, at this moment, is only thinking of their own feelings and emotions. They are not considering the consequences that their sin is causing their spouse, their children and all the pain and suffering.
Believe for your Lord to go speak to your spouse to come out of the prison of sin, take off their filthy rags and put on them the robe of righteousness as Jesus walks them to the Cross telling them about His Blood and then back to their waiting faithful spouse!
Why is this happening? Your marriage problems are to be removed, healed, your love reignited and your marriage rebuilt on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Your marriage will become a lighthouse for many others to see there is hope as God heals hurting and even dead marriages! Never stop believing in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Believe and obey,
Charlyne Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
