“We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
Years ago, I went through a divorce from an abusive marriage. The Lord said to me one day loud and clear, “Abuse is not love. It’s time to leave.” So, I did. I left there exhausted, grieved, and afraid. I grieved what was supposed to be. But the Lord. When we are weak, He is strong. During the worst of times, He remains close to us; he will never leave us or forsake us.
My sister took me into her home. There I found comfort, love and even joy. There was a Christian church up the block and I clung to it and the friendships I made there. Finding love again was far from my mind after what I went through. I didn’t want to be alone but I felt I had no choice.
The truth is I was never alone. I know it sounds like a cliche, “Oh, you’re not alone, you have Jesus.” Well, I’m here to tell you that this is not a cliche. It is truth. During that time, I experienced God’s love on the deepest level. He remained close to me and I remained close to Him. He spoke to me. He gave me wonderful dreams. He gave me dreams that seemed so real that I still remember them today. He showed me visions of one day having a marriage with a godly man. I didn’t know completely what it looked like. But I knew that I would never go back to abuse again.
What I didn’t realize was that God’s love was not only healing me, but it was changing me. He performed a work in me and I am so grateful He did. He had to take out low self esteem. He had to remove codependency. He had to build me up into the person He wanted me to be.
A few years later, the Lord brought my godly, loving, kind, fun, strong but gentle, humble, compatible and very handsome husband to me. What a loving, patient, forgiving, heart healing, soul mending, restoration performing, friend we have in Jesus.
I don’t tell you these things to brag. I tell them to you to bring you hope. I pray if you are feeling lonely, removed from everything today because others are celebrating, that you would receive the love of Jesus deep into those broken places of your heart. That you would be with Him in your quiet time and allow Him to heal all that is hurt, lost, and broken. I pray that you would give to Him all of the disappointments. All of the “why me’s” and “why not me, Lord.”
I pray as you sit with Him and as He reveals things to you, loves you and heals you, that you would know, that you know, that this is not all that your loving Lord has for you. His love is so great for you that maybe He needs you to be alone with Him. Maybe He needed you to be with Him at this very moment in this very time. Learning new things, leaving behind old things and taking joy in the wonderful new plans that you know your faithful, loving Lord has for you.
Romans 8:38-39 “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus.”
By Maria Coffyn, DOTK Writing Community
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This was so encouraging. I needed this so much. Thank you ❤️
This so so wonderful to read and meditate over. I am letting it sink in that I am His own, He is my Heavenly Father who knows what good gifts to give me, including time alone with Him. He cares for me, He provides for the birds, He’ll provide for me too because He is not an infidel.
Amen & Amen🙏🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
This spoke to me about abuse, I didn’t know Jesus then, plus I was pregnant so stayed, I got comfort from reading this Maria ….
Witness by the words of your testimony!
Thank you for sharing because I am presently walking the trail you blazed!!!
He is present, his love is unconditional agape!!!
intimacy with him, I am coming to know him and who I am in him! It’s not easy, but he sustains and strengthens me!!!!
How you have blessed us today!!!
Glory to God thank you father God for delivering this devotion through this ministry guide me and protect me as I follow your plans for my life is I’m reading this devotion here at work at a quiet area just thinking about all the goodness of Jesus Christ the tears if I read this devotion my God speaking to my heart through my pain Indepence abusive relationship that I was in with my spouse thank God for protecting me and you be safe and on the long years asking God to open my heart and will remove all fears in God to find the right partner for me in the mighty name of Jesus Christ a man that loves God I trust you father God in the mighty name of Jesus Amen 🙏🏾 Thank you I needed this devotion this morning♥️
Beautifully Stated & I Needed This….Thank You.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I was an atheist all my life. It was not until Jesus in his beautiful, stunning grace and mercy, reached out and saved me from an abusive relationship that I came to know him!
I take heart from your story and especially that you met a lovely, godly man sometime after. What a beautiful blessing.
Amen…Amen. He’s still preparing me for what He has for me! Someone who reflects his love in every way.
This has blessed me so much, God has called me to be alone and it’s not easy but I’m going to keep trusting and having faith in God.
Hello Father God! You are so amazing! Thank You for getting me out of my own way Lord Hod! Thank You for all that You do for me, seen and unseen, everyday! Most high God, I love You for giving me the time to learn to love You more and more! I pray these things in Jesus name, Amen! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
The Lord never leaves or forsakes me, he knows my name and every hair on my head. Thank you for this encouraging timely devotional. Ut speaks to my heart. Blessings, Shalom and Agape 👀🙏🏽♥️📖🙌🏽
Amen! Thank you! God is loving and caring! He did not create his daughters to be abused! 🥰🙏🏽
Thank you for sharing hope and your story.