49 - Jessica - “My husband is mistreating me and the children, I’ve been encouraged to leave him, I don’t know what to do?”
“My husband is mistreating me and the children. Even my mother-in-law is encouraging me to leave him, but I don’t know what to do?”
Waiting on God's Timing in a Difficult Marriage
Jessica's message detailed the pain and difficulty of living in an oppressive marriage. Her plea for help resonates with many who find themselves in spiritual prisons, feeling trapped and longing for escape. In such times, turning to God's Word for guidance and strength is crucial. As Isaiah 64:4 reminds us, "Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him."
Often, we want to free ourselves and take control, but this can go against God’s ways. He sometimes brings us into difficult situations, like the Psalmist describes in Psalm 66:10-12, "For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." These "spiritual prisons" can take many forms – a difficult marriage, an oppressive employer, or a strained family relationship. God uses these trials to draw us closer to Him, to a place where we cry out for deliverance, desperate for His intervention.
The key is to become "meek." As Matthew 5:5 tells us, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Meekness isn't weakness, but a preference for God's will over our own. It’s trusting His timing, His sovereignty, and His love, even when we desperately want out. This requires recognizing that God is in complete control, His timing is perfect, and He works all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).
So, what should you do in the midst of suffering? Wait. Don’t move until God tells you to. Unless your life is in danger, hold on to Him through grace, pray continually, and believe that God sees and knows everything about your situation. Ask for His will to be done, and pray for your husband's heart to be changed. As Lamentations 3:24-25 encourages us, "I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him." Seek His guidance through prayer and His Word (Psalm 25:12, Psalm 32:8-9).
Only God knows the outcome. Trust that He will either remove the person or obstacle, change the heart of the person involved, or give you the grace to endure. It may not be comfortable, but He will give you the strength to stand firm in the season He has called you to. Remember, sometimes the greatest test of obedience is waiting on God. He is working even in the silence. He may be preparing you for something greater, something beyond your current understanding. Place your hope in Him, wait for His deliverance, and trust His perfect timing.
