Offering Prayer

[bigybiz]

Hello:

I recently discovered a website that has some great Christ focused resources for those in a marriage crisis. The site is https://www.rejoiceministries.org/

I've enjoyed the devotions.

I've been keeping my word and praying for all of you. I hope there is some comfort in that.

[blueboy]

Coolhand: I would like to joining with a pray for you all!

[bigybiz]

Blueboy: It would be an honor to pray for you.

[Jzmill]

Continue to have you all in my thoughts. I have been real down lately hoping somehow for a turn around. None of us should be going through this.

[collin]

Tonight we are doing our 2 hour MC session. It starts at 6. Please pray for us. Thank you for all the prayers.

[bigybiz]

Collin: I wanted to let you know that I have already been praying for you this afternoon. I will continue to pray for you.

[Jzmill]

Perhaps you are familiar already with this but wanted to pass along a series listening to. It is the "Rejoice Ministries fight for your marriage podcasts."

Charlyne and Bob pull scripture and use examples from their own dark season.
Thought could be comforting for some.

[bigybiz]

Jzmill: Thanks so much for sharing.

I recently found that website myself. I've been doing the Men's standing firm devotional. The messages themselves are good. I've not listened to the podcasts yet.

I continue to pray for you daily. I hope there is some comfort in that.

[Jzmill]

That is good that you have come across it. The podcasts themselves are good company on walks. I appreciate the prayers, it is comforting. I pray for you as well.

[bigybiz]

Today I read this devotional and it really hits home the idea of patience and obedience. Many of us want our marital problems fixed now and we wonder why God is taking so long to give us what we want. Considering we are doing everything God wants us to do i.e. repenting, forgiving, being faithful, worshiping, obeying, etc.

There are some days when we feel God is working and some days when we feel we are on our own. This devotional/passage is a great reminder that God is working way out of our sight and way inside our spouse heart.




The Israelites, under Joshua, had come to the Jordan River at flood stage and it was impassable. They didn’t know what to do, but God had the solution. This is what He told Joshua to do:

“Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan. Now then, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.” Joshua 3:11-13 (NASB)

Basically God said, “Here’s what I want you to do. I want the priests to carry the Ark of the Lord into the water, accompanied by the leaders, and just stand still in the water and wait.” And while they stood there it says that God stopped up the water.

When I’ve heard this story in the past I’ve always assumed that God did just what He did at the Red Sea and stopped the water right where they stood. However, that is not what happened. Reading farther in the chapter, we see that God did stand up the waters, but it happened eleven miles upstream at Adam. So they didn’t see the change right away. They had to stand and wait, and while they were waiting they didn’t know what God was doing.

So here we are standing for our marriage with no clue of what God is doing. Yet we know from this story that standing still is what He wants us to do.

This is an amazing story because it shows us what God often does. We do what He says, we obey Him, but we still don’t see anything, no evidence that He is working. Of course, He IS working. It’s just eleven miles upstream, beyond our purview! Even if we don’t see it, God has already done something upstream and it isn’t going to be long now until you and I see the evidence that He has.

When the waters were raging (like they often are in our lives) God told the Israelites that if they would stand still and wait, then He would do what He said…and He did! He will do no less for anyone who will faithfully do His will.

Isn’t that a totally awesome story! I’ve heard it a lot of times, but I never saw this before. God had to have done what He did at the Jordan just for those of us who are standing for our families. As a matter of fact, I believe God did it just for you and me…for such a time as this.

Still waiting with your feet in the water? Your miracle is still upstream, just around the bend in the river.