Charlyne Cares Daily Devotional - Helping Stop Divorce God's Way

Nothing Is Impossible With God

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished." Luke 1:45

We are celebrating the 23rd anniversary of our remarriage today, July 7. What a special day for both of us. This was and still is such a miracle and blessing from our Lord God. Before you ask, Bob and I celebrate both our anniversaries. In fact, we probably celebrate this one even more because we both know what the Lord did in accomplishing his miracle of marriage restoration for us.

"No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married." Isaiah 62:4

The scripture above was given to me on May 2, 1987 at 3:00 P.M. Yes, I have the date and time written in my Bible. I had asked the Lord, just like you do, for another confirmation that He was going to bring Bob home and restore our marriage, since Bob and the other woman were talking about a wedding. When God gave me that scripture, I started praising my Lord.

I then totally decided that I was going to wait forever for my husband to come home and be set free from the bondages of sin. I pray that you will seek your Lord for His divine answers and instructions regarding restoring and rebuilding your marriage. Then you must stand firm in your faith, believing what God has promised will come to pass.

"...The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." Psalm 145:13-14

Bob and I want to praise our Lord for His faithfulness and love for His children. Twenty-three years ago as my children and I celebrated July 4th alone, I did not have any idea what my Lord was planning for me and our family only three short days later. Will you pray and live your life expecting the Lord to move your mountain of circumstances at any time?

"For nothing is impossible with God."  Luke 1:37

On July 7, 1987, Bob drove two hours from where he lived and came to my office and knocked on my window. I was shocked to see him. I went to the back door and he asked if I could go out to lunch with him. I could see he was distressed. I went back inside and quickly arranged to take an extended lunch time. I left not knowing what was going on in Bob's heart or mind.

Bob was under Holy Spirit conviction. He had a battle raging within between the Holy Spirit and satan. There was a battle of doing what was fun, wild living in a world of sin or coming back home to a wife and children who had been praying for him.

While we were still in the parking lot, sitting in his car, Bob asked me to stop praying for him. He said I had to leave him alone, and that he could not handle the stress. The funny part of that was I was not communicating with him unless he called the children or me. I assured Bob that I loved him, but I would never stop praying for him. I continued to listen and "zipped my lips."

All of a sudden Bob said, "To keep you happy and for you to leave me alone, I will go to the courthouse with you right now and get a marriage license that you can keep in your Bible to know that sometime in the future, I may come home." Doesn't that sound like so many double-minded prodigals?)

Wow! I could not believe Bob suggested such an idea, as he and the other person were talking about a wedding. Bob was speaking double mindedness. He was just wanting and seeking peace from all the turmoil that he was feeling deep within. God was putting Bob in a corner to hear the Holy Spirit's voice and plans for his future.

We went to the courthouse and I prayed continuously, asking the Lord to help me to speak and say just the right words.

There were few cell phones then. As we teach, you must be self- sufficient when your spouse comes home so you can talk and listen to the Lord personally. I had no idea what was going to happen.

We got the marriage license and Bob said, "Now you should be satisfied, so stop praying for me and leave me alone. Some day we may get remarried, but not now."

Then Bob took me to his new favorite restaurant, which I learned was the other woman's favorite place.

As I left the table for a few minutes, the Holy Spirit spoke to my husband like never before and said, "You have made the biggest mistake in your life by leaving your wife. You need to marry her now and go home."

When I returned to the table, Bob said he was sorry for all that he had done and that God had just spoken to him. He needed to come home. Would I marry him?

Would I? I could not believe my ears! I had been praying and fasting for this moment for quite some time. I felt like the angels in Heaven were singing the Hallelujah Chorus and in my mind I was visualizing July 4th firecrackers going off around us!

Bob told me to call our Pastor (who had encouraged me to divorce Bob due to his unfaithfulness) and ask him if we could be remarried in the Pastor's office that very afternoon. I remember mentioning ever so briefly if he would like to have a wedding in the church, as I had lost weight to fit in my wedding dress waiting for a large celebration one day. Bob said, "No, I can't do that." I dropped the church wedding subject instantly.

The church secretary said our Pastor was at lunch. I asked her to tell him that "My miracle is happening." I then called my office to let them know that I was not returning to work that afternoon.

Everyone, both at church and at work, knew what was happening as I had been speaking for more than two years that Bob was coming home, some day, somehow as God had told me He would restore our marriage.

What are you speaking to others? Are you speaking faith, trust and hope in your Lord regardless of your circumstances?

Bob had me call our three children and I was able to arrange for two of them to meet us at the church, without telling them what was happening suddenly on that special afternoon. Both Lori and Tom were very surprised to see their father sitting in the Pastor's office. Then our Pastor married us.

Later that afternoon, we went to Bob's parent's home and walked in, asking them to guess why we were there together. His mother's response was, "You got married!" She was believing what I had been saying, but she had never told me.

I am confident that you have a group of silent cheerleaders, who may not understand what you are doing, but really believe that having your husband or wife come back home would be the best for you and your whole family! Then Bob and I went back to my office where I was the administrator, and the doctors and staff got a cake and punch and we had our wedding reception in the office kitchen.

A few hours later, our entire family celebrated at a restaurant. What a homecoming celebration! My beloved prodigal spouse had come home from the far country! That evening Bob called the other woman and told her that he married me that afternoon. She told him, "I knew that it was going to end this way."

God does speak to His children and that is my prayer for you today. Seek the Lord in your despair or in your loneliness asking Him to speak to you loudly and clearly, so that you have no doubt what His message is for your marriage and what you are to do.

God spoke to me over twenty-five years ago when I was desperate asking my Lord if He was going to restore my marriage. I had my Bible and cried out, pleading for my Lord to speak to me supernaturally. I asked my Lord, "Where is Bob spiritually?" I opened my Bible and it opened to Luke 1:15:

"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord."

I was speechless and asked the Lord how that could be, knowing what Bob was doing! The Lord spoke thoughts in my mind that Bob was blinded and deceived by the enemy. Then, as I was thinking, I turned my eyes to the opposite page of the Bible and a scripture seemed to be highlighted on the page, which was the first scripture I shared in today's devotional, Luke 1:45:

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished."

I had to choose to believe in what the Lord was speaking to me about Bob and about our marriage. I was amazed what was happening. I could hardly believe what the Lord was revealing to me as I had just a few months before divorced Bob for his unfaithfulness. Then as the Lord can only do, He lifted up another scripture on the same opened pages of my Bible which said:

"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

That is my message for you today. I know your circumstances may be impossible, horrible in the world's eyes, and your church family thinks that your prodigal spouse will never return home and God has someone better for you. Don't believe it! That is what I did! Save yourself a lot of pain and brokenness, don't give up on your one-flesh spouse. God hates divorce, (Malachi 2:13-16). If you are divorced, repent for your part and start standing and believing for the restoration of your marriage. Bob and I are living proof of the power and faithfulness of our Heavenly Father, if you will follow His will and way forever.

Today I challenge you to become a woman or man of God who walks and talks faith about your marriage being restored, regardless of your present circumstances. I just want to praise my Lord that I chose to follow Him and His wooing, instead of listening to man about showing Bob tough love when he was living in sin. In the years Bob was gone, he moved four different times. As a new stander at that time, my heart was broken and I could not imagine how the Lord was going to be able to bring my husband back home except by His power. I chose to trust my Lord and wait on His perfect timing.

I know that your circumstances may seem hopeless today, but never forget the awesome mighty God you serve. Never forget the Lord who wants to guide and direct your every step. He will speak to you throughout the day and night if you will only praise and worship Him, then listen to His soft voice. Your Lord did not touch you and change your heart, giving you promises of restoration, to never have your marriage restored!

Yes, you are in a spiritual battle. Yes, you must fight as if it means life or death for your spouse because it does. What you decide to do, praying for your prodigal, may mean them being in Heaven or in Hell for eternity. Never forget the example that you are teaching your children, your friends and loved ones about the importance of your marriage covenant, your wedding vows and for future generations.

My Lord was touching my husband's heart one day at a time. God is also speaking to your spouse even if they are being rebellious and disobedient. But as you read throughout the Bible, God moves suddenly and then does a miracle. Marriage restoration is worth praying, travailing and fighting, as well as, doing God's will. The Lord is no respecter of persons. What He has done for Bob and me, He will do for you in His perfect timing. Stand firm waiting for your miracle!

Bob and I have been privileged to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to others for twenty years where God transforms people's hearts. He created marriage and He hates divorce. We are thrilled to hear the testimonies of people finding our Web site, turning their hearts and lives over to the Lord Jesus Christ as they stand in the gap for restoration of their marriages. Will you join God's army to fight against divorce forever? We can make a difference if we will continue to proclaim that our awesome, mighty, holy God can heal and resurrect dead marriages. Yes, even yours!

Nothing is impossible with God,
Charlyne (and Bob) Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061 USA
http://rejoiceministries.org 

An Anniversary Bobservation -

My wife did a great job in describing July 7, 1987 for you. The part she does not know about is my two hour drive that Wednesday morning down Florida’s Turnpike. Like a person in great physical pain, I had left Fort Pierce seeking relief from my spiritual pain. I had no idea what was about to happen. In fact, I had no idea exactly where I was headed, except to Broward County, where both Charlyne and the other person lived. Along the way, I considered my options. The more I attempted to reason out an answer, the more Charlyne seemed to hold the solution.

That day, I did not want to even see Charlyne, much less have lunch with her–-or marry her! Believe me, if there had been one reason not to exit at her office, I would have continued on into the arms of someone else, gaining temporary relief from a pain that was not about to go away.

If once, Charlyne had given me reason to believe that her stand was not for real, or if once she had been discovered out with a male friend for coffee, I would have passed up her exit. If only one time, she would have contacted me during her stand that she was "getting on with life," I would have had my out.

Today, 23 years later, I thank God for His Holy Spirit having led me that day. I also praise Him for giving me a wife for life, a stander for life, who was always as sold out to our marriage in her actions and she was in her words.

"It’s nice your marriage worked out for you guys, but who promises that mine will end the same way?" someone is asking. Your Lord God gives you that promise. He never changes, so it is all up to you. Are you going to get serious about standing, doing things God's way, or are you going to dabble with standing, as well as with living the world's way, going back and forth, depending on which crowd you are with?

If you were to ask either of us what we want for our anniversary, the only gift we desire is for you to become a strong, serious, sold-out stander, who looks to their Lord Jesus for everything. The bottom line is that we want you to know the joy of a marriage restored and healed by our Mighty God.

The morning of July 7, 1987 for me should settle your fretting over what your prodigal is doing, saying, thinking, or being. There are no obstacles to restoration we prodigals set in place that have our Mighty God wringing His hands. Once God moves, in response to your serious stand and prayers, and at His time, things start to happen.

It amazes me how often the free will reminders originate with people who seem to have already given up on what God has promised them. They seem to want to make reminding you about free will their excuse for failing in what God called them to do. Please do not accept this.

On that life-changing day described above, no one was forcing me. I could have stayed in bed that morning, or I could have taken any of a dozens turnpike exits on the way south. No one was twisting my arm to make me ask Charlyne to marry me, nor did anyone force me to sign that marriage license, and to say "I do" to our pastor two hours later, before my God and my wife.

Anyone who has been where I was that day can assure you that free will had absolutely nothing to do with the matter. Every returned prodigal can tell you what it is like at that point when our spiritual pain becomes so severe and "something" tells us it was time to stop the foolishness and to come home to a God who loves us and to a praying spouse.

Yes, prodigals do come home (and we stay home.) The Holy Spirit leads us home to serious standers who are doing things God's way!     - R.E.S.  

Devotional Copyright© 2010 Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.

Scripture quoted by permission and are from the Holy Bible; New International Version® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.