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Standing Firm

August 21, 2011

Welcome to Standing Firm, a free weekly devotional from Rejoice Marriage Ministries. If these messages nolonger meet your needs, please use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this devotional and you will be

removed immediately. Here is this week's message...

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Hope and A Future – 

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give

you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11

After the passing of my wife, I felt like Job having all earthly wealth, possessions and family stripped away from

me. My entire adult life was dedicated to my family and I felt that my life no longer had value or purpose. At the

time of my wife's passing, my daughter, son- in-law and grandson were living with us. Within a few months, they

bought their first house and moved out. We had purchased a large home after our marriage was restored and

now I was alone with my sorrow and sadness.

I held on dearly to the scripture verse, Jeremiah 29:11, I had seen on the back of the tractor-trailer rig a few days

before God took my wife home. I was positive that this was God's sign to me that He would heal my wife.

However, after my wife's death, I began to realize that God gave this verse to me personally to encourage me

during this lonely time. I thought that I would have to give up my involvement with Rejoice Ministries but Bob andCharlyne Steinkamp encouraged me to continue. It was a struggle to do so yet by the grace of God, I found

comfort in helping others with their trials. As the time of separation from my wife was a spiritual awakening for

me, so was the time after her death. I clung to the cross of Jesus as my strength to face each passing day.

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield

and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:2

In marriage, the husband is to make a total gift of himself for his wife and children. This was my vocation and I

was so lost without someone to love in this self-sacrificial way. After nearly two years, I began to pray that God

would bring a godly woman into my life. Amazingly, within a month of daily praying this prayer, God brought

Rose into my life. Rose had also lost a spouse at an early age, having been the sole supporter of their family oftwo young children adopted from Russia. Rose's husband had passed away during a move to a new job, miles

away from family and friends. God had also given Rose the scripture verse Jeremiah 29:11 to encourage her

during the dark days after the passing of her husband.

Rose and I were married on December 13, 2002. She is a gift from heaven. Engraved inside our wedding bands

is "JER 29:11", a reminder of God's faithfulness to us. As everything was restored to Job beyond what was taken

away from him, God has given me a faith-filled wife, three children, and three grandchildren. God saw my

loneliness and tears, answering my prayers beyond anything I could hope or imagine.

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My late wife, Therese, was named after the "Little Flower," St. Therese of Lisieux. Those of you familiar with St.

Therese will recognize this prayer asking for her intercession:

"O little Therese of the Child of Jesus, please pick for me a rose from the heavenly gardens and send it to me as

a message of love."

My precious Therese was praying for me in heaven and God sent me a "Rose" as His message of love. He saw

my faith and trust throughout the years of separation and divorce from my wife. He saw my willingness to obey

Him no matter what the cost or ridicule that I had to endure. God is faithful to His obedient ones. He has blessedme with many blessings. I would not change a single thing because God's way is always better than anything we

could ever plan for ourselves. The lesson that God taught me in all of this is that I needed to place my entire life

in His hands. At times, I felt He had deserted me but I never gave up hope. This is my message to you: Do not

give up hope! God has a plan for your life, to give you hope and a future.

God's plan for husbands and wives is that they help each other get to heaven. Whether you are married,

separated or divorced, God expects you to be praying for your spouse until death separates (Rom 7:2). I know o

many standers that have had to face the death of an absent spouse before their marriages were restored. Others

had spouses taken away shortly after reconciliation. None of us knows the time or the place when God will call

us home. I dedicate this devotional to those standers that have lost loved ones before healing could take place in

their marriages. I believe that these faithful standers hold a special place in the heart of God. May their exampleinspire us all to lead holy lives and encourage us to pray fervently for those who have left home and family.

May God bless you, O faithful servant.

Dennis L. Wingfield

Rejoice Marriage Ministries

http://www.rejoiceministries.org 

"God heals hurting marriages!"

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Visit the Rejoice Ministries Bookstore for my book, "Standing for

God's Best - Hope and Healing for Troubled Marriages" and other

books and tapes to encourage you in your stand:

http://www.stopdivorce.org

Devotional Copyright© 2011 Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.

Printed from http://rejoiceministries.org/sf/view.php?id=608

Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.

Post Office Box 10548

Pompano Beach, FL 33061

http://rejoiceministries.org

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