Where Is God in a Broken Marriage?

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” (Psalm 46:1-3)

There’s a lot to be afraid of when you find yourself in a broken marriage. Financial fears. Custody fears. Emotional fears.

I remember during those first few weeks after he left, I would tuck my four-year-old daughter in at night, then lay in my bed literally chanting“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). Then when I woke up and reality taunted me, I would chant it again. It was one of my only true consolations and the reason I didn’t struggle with insomnia.

Truly, our God is a God of comfort. “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul” (Psalm 94:19). Turn to Him.

Maybe your marriage isn’t ending. Maybe separation isn’t your reality, but you still are experiencing a separation of intimacy and love from your spouse. Maybe you’re all too familiar with emotional distance and feeling lonely, despite the other side of the bed still being occupied. God is there too, dear friend. And you know what? It’s not too late. Keep praying. Keep fasting. Keep returning to the Lord with your mess. He’s there. He loves. He cares. And He will hold you up.

I received that testimony I wanted for God’s glory, but it didn’t come through my marriage being put back together. Rather, it came through the work He did in my heart. It came through several years of sin, repentance, struggle, and victory against all odds—victory despite myself. It came through remarriage to a single dad who knew a similar heartache. And it continues to come through opportunities to share my story and give God the praise for all He’s done.

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Psalm 3:3)

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