Remembering His Faithfulness

I’ve never studied or prayed more about peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation like I have since walking through divorce. I never knew how enormous the wake of destruction that divorce leaves behind until I experienced it myself. Culture loves to water down the consequences of sin, but the Bible is clear that what God has joined together, let no one separate (Mark 10:9). He said this for a reason, for many reasons. 

Divorce affects more than the two people who said “I do.” Children may be involved. Family and friends are most definitely involved and impacted by this trauma. No one really gets through divorce unscathed. It’s ruthless. It’s evil. It’s an all out war. 

So, how do we live faithfully when life is less than perfect? How can we achieve peace when others care less about it? These are questions I have wrestled with personally these past few years. 

I’ve lived the majority of my life thinking forgiveness and peace were tied to reconciliation. I thought reconciliation and peace were like the visual fruits that you’ve truly forgiven someone. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and our SOAP verse for the day confirms this when we read words like this: “if possible” and “so far as it depends on you.” 

Peace is a benefit of being in relationship with Christ. We may also experience peace and reconciliation as we are in right relationships with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. However, we live in a fallen world and trials will come, but the Lord is faithful and we can still experience peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding, even within a chaotic and hurtful season. Our peace is not tied to others’ interest in it. As we are faithful and hold tight to our Prince of Peace, we can experience peace, even through the storm. It’s not in our perfection that we experience peace, but through our Peacemaker. 

When God is working in our lives, it becomes evident to those around us. Even Abimelech mentions to Abraham in Genesis 21:22, “God is with you in all that you do.” It was in Beersheba, which means “well of oath” where these two men settled a disagreement and found peace between them. Abraham then planted a tree there, stayed put, and worshiped the Lord. Through Abraham’s obedience and faithfulness to the Lord, Abimelech was blessed. As we are obedient and faithful to the Lord, we will also be used to bless others. 

It’s crucial that we always remember the faithfulness of God in our lives. We like to think that we’ll remember forever, but we truly are quick to forget. The things we have a tendency to remember most are the dates and details of events that changed our lives forever. But the Lord has a plan for each of our lives, even when life doesn’t go the way we expected. Maybe you’ve been blindsided by betrayal, abandonment, or death. Maybe you’re still holding out for breakthrough, reconciliation, or a promise to be fulfilled. Don’t lose heart. That rejection was protection! 

Beersheba represents a place where Abraham called out to God and worshipped the Lord, while he was in a season of waiting. My prayer for each of us is that we take the time to create our own Beersheba, a reminder of God’s oath in our heart for when doubt or conflict come our way. We are far from perfect, but our pursuit of peace and faithfulness will be a blessing to us and others. 

Peace is ours for the taking because of who God is.