I was recently
challenged to share my testimony at my home Church. I felt that God was calling
me to share my story of how Jesus never failed me. I shared my story there and now I share my story with you today.
In February
2007, my first wife left me. Needless to say, I was devastated and I blamed God
for allowing me to feel so much pain. I got angry and started running away from
Him by doing anything I could to help me feel better. I quit going to church. I
was drinking every day. I hated Sundays because
most bars were closed. I was with many women trying to fill the void that my
ex-wife had left. I even cheated on a girlfriend because, even though she
wasn't giving me any reason to think so, I assumed she was cheating on me.
People who knew me before
said that I was a completely different person and for a year and a half, I just
kept trying to please myself.
Fortunately, one summer day in June of 2008, God pressed this question on my
heart, "Do you really want to live the rest of your life this way”? I
instantly remembered that everything I was doing was a waste of time and that I
would only find INSTANT
satisfaction. The only way I would ever be TRULY happy again, was to
re-dedicate my life back to Christ and allow Him to heal my broken heart. I didn't
immediately stop doing the things that I was doing wrong. But over a period of
several months, God helped me eliminate the things that were hurting my
relationship with Him.
By January of
2009, I was feeling God’s healing as I was alright with being alone. I didn't
"need" to have a girlfriend and I was enjoying the single life and
depending on God for my happiness. Amazingly that same month, God introduced me
to my current wife. For 6 months we hung out frequently, but I kept telling her
that I couldn't date her because I needed to "be alone". June 4th, 2009, I felt like God was telling me that it was alright and that I was ready for a
relationship. So I asked her if she was still willing to date me. We've been
married since July 27th 2010.
God showed me
His mercy by protecting me when I was running. He spared me and other people by
keeping my car on the road when I was driving drunk. He kept me from diseases
or having children with random women. And He saved me from Hell by dying on the
cross for all my sins. NOW, He's showing me His Grace. He promises me eternal
life with Him even though I'm far from worthy. He's blessed me with a beautiful
wife, who pushes me every day to do more than just sit around and play games.
He blessed me with an amazing step daughter when I re-married. He blessed me
with an adorable daughter of my own just 15 months ago. He blessed me with a
wonderful foster daughter 4 months ago. And just 2 days ago on April 10th,
2013; He blessed me with my first son. He gave me the family I had desired all
along, even though I had rejected Him out of anger for something He didn't even
do.
We named our
daughter Gianna Grace because Gianna means "God is gracious". And we
named our son Micah Giovanni because Micah means "Who is like God”? The
answer to the question is (emphatically) "NO ONE”!
This is my story.
JESUS HAS NEVER FAILED
ME. AND HE NEVER WILL...
Share some ways that Jesus has never failed you.
Photo credit: © Paolese - Fotolia.com
Photo credit: © Paolese - Fotolia.com
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This was a guest post by a good friend of mine from High School.
I recently saw his testimony posted on his Facebook
and requested that he share it on the blog.
I recently saw his testimony posted on his Facebook
and requested that he share it on the blog.
Jesus has never failed our marriage. When my wife and I try to stand individually united we fall to the left or to the right. But when we allow Christ to stand as the third leg to complete the tripod we can stand individually united!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this comment! The bottom line...Keep God at The Head of Your Marriage! Thanks for sharing brother!
DeleteNice post. Even when we are not aware of God's presence, He is always there. Even though in troublesome times He seems farthest away,"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Frank! These are powerful verses we all need to keep in mind.
DeleteA powerful testimony. I can attribute much of my Christian development and growth to my wife, who has always loved me, always inspired me, always challenged me and always corrected me. A good marriage is a true source of strength.
ReplyDelete"A good marriage is a true source of strength" --make sure that line gets in the books or your social media, that was right on the money. Glad to hear your marriage is solid. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI've been without full-time work for the past 20 months. But I have felt God with me and my family every step of the way, and we have never gone without. He has been there for us. It's been challenging to be completely dependent on Him for everything, but it's also Ben a great adventure.
ReplyDeleteSounds intense Joseph. Sometimes God uses hardship for us to realize how much we need Him and also to show us how much He loves us. I pray that times get better and that you stay faithful brother. Thanks for sharing this!
DeleteI don't know how to break this to you delicately, but you've led everybody who reads this post to believe that they can ignore God's law and the promise they made to Him, if doing so will 'make them happy.' Go back to Genesis 2:23; what does it say about the permanence of marriage? "Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind, bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two shall become one."
ReplyDelete(Presumably) you made a covenant with your "first" wife to stay married to her until one of you died. Your job was to do everything you could to reconcile with your wife, not to find another one. God will never contradict His own Word. He will never tell you in His Word to stay married to your wife, then turn around and tell you personally that it's okay to leave her and cling onto another. The only exception would be if your wife married another person.
There is a pretty good chance that you got bad or no counseling when you were going through all this, probably didn't really look through Scripture to see what God said about it, and did what "felt good." It is too late now, as you are already married, but to anybody who is reading this and considering doing the same thing, thinking it turned out fine for him, please don't follow in this man's footsteps. Yes, you might very well be called to a life of heartache, with a spouse who never turns back toward you. She/He may never be saved, but you made a covenant, and God is not going to let you out of it.
As I appreciate your willingness to share your opinion and comment, I have to respectfully disagree with some of your comments.
DeleteI do agree that the verses in Genesis are a good example of how man and woman started out and how they are to come together. The verses gives no specifics on marriage and troubles though. I believe 1 Corinthians 7 would be a better example in this situation since his wife left him (we'll say unbeliever) which made him no longer bound to her.
Your second paragraph is interesting in that he could very well have done everything to save his marriage, but a man can not FORCE his wife to stay with him if she desires to divorce. Again, this would go back to the Corinthians. And your last line about her remarrying really does not work either. Is a divorced man to have to wait for his ex-wife to remarry in order for him to remarry? Absolutely not.
In closing, have we not all "sinned and fallen short of the glory of God"? Are we not all sinners saved by the grace and sacrifice of Christ? How can we, humans, decide what sin is worse then others? I believe it is a condition of the heart or in other word God knows our heart and if we are honest or not. If a wife leaves a husband or vice versa, and the spouse goes off in a bad direction, God can still call on Him and use him in miraculous ways.
This testimony should bring HOPE to people that have gone through similar pain. They need to know and love Jesus, just as everyone should.
...with respect