Since Malachi 2:16 expressly states that God despises divorce, the title may appear to be an oxymoron. How can God use something as hurtful and gut-wrenching as divorce to bring about redemption? Similarly, separation can tear apart families prior to divorce. Christians may wonder where God is during such perplexing times. However, God is able to work through complicated situations such as divorce and separation, redeeming wounded problems, and making everything right.
God’s ability to heal wounds
Divorce leaves behind repercussions that constitute a new standard of living. Consequently, is it possible for God to heal post-divorce wounds? Some passages in the Bible remind us of God’s ability to heal all wounds, including those that have been present for decades. God gives us strength and sustains His righteous hand, as Isaiah 41:10 reminds us. A further reminder from Isaiah 53 tells us that God carries our suffering and that if anyone understands how we feel, it is He, so we can go to Him with all of our sufferings.
God, according to Psalm 147:3, will mend our broken hearts and heal our wounds, both of which are the result of divorce. There is, however, no force on earth capable of preventing God from working. God will deliver us from distress, according to Psalm 107:19. Divorce brings uncertainty and anxiety to a family’s life, but it also represents a significant transition. Nevertheless, God brings us peace and aids us when we need it the most. In the end, according to Revelation 21:4, God will wipe away every tear from our eyes and make every sad thing false. Thankfully, the suffering and pain we endure are temporary.
Examples of God transforming evil into a good are in the Bible
God did not create divorce. It is a sad indication that the world is broken and that we need a savior. God abhors, according to Hebrews 9:15, the destruction of families, discord, and the severing of the marriage bond. God can redeem something terrible, such as a divorce, even in the midst of a broken heart. There aren’t many people in the Bible who experience separation or divorce, but God transforms some individuals whose lives are in dire straits.
Joseph is the first example from the Bible. Joseph embodied the essence of unfortunate circumstances; he is famous for saying in Genesis 50:20, “what you intended for evil, God used for good” After Joseph shared his unpleasant dreams with his brothers, they sold him into slavery. When his master’s wife reported that he attempted to rape her, he was ultimately sentenced to prison. God did not overlook Joseph, however. He utilized Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams to assist the Pharaoh and win his favor, rising to the position of the second-highest ruler in Egypt and saving thousands of people from widespread famine. If his brothers had not sold him into slavery with the intention of creating a negative situation, a number of individuals would still be alive today.
Paul and Silas provide an additional biblical example. Silas and Paul were wrongfully imprisoned and severely beaten after they exorcised a demon from a slave girl who prophesied and whose owners were unable to profit from her. As described in Acts 16:16–40, the flogging and beating with rods were one of the worst moments of persecution they had endured. Paul and Silas remain in the prison, even preventing the jailer from committing suicide when an earthquake opens the prison’s doors. If prisoners escaped while the guard was on duty, it was a death sentence. The jailer asked Silas and Paul how he could be saved after observing that they did not move, and that night, his entire family accepted Christ. The salvation of a family would have been lost if Paul and Silas had not been mistreated and imprisoned.
The Samaritan woman provides the final illustration. She was likely familiar with divorce because she wed five different men. We do not know if these marriages ended in death or divorce, but we do know that she lived with a man to whom she was not married. Jesus spends time with and discusses the fact that He has come as the Messiah, a social pariah in every way. Delighted by the news, she tells everyone in town about Him, and as a result, many Samaritans are aware of Christ. Jesus would not have encountered the Samaritan woman at the well if she had not endured five painful divorces and become an outcast from society. The Bible states that she was at the well during the hottest part of the day when no one else would be there. When Jesus arrived at the same time as she, they had a conversation that immediately altered the lives of the residents of her town.
How God can benefit from divorce
Maybe your parents divorced and remarried, and you didn’t see how God could have a redemptive plan for their story. According to you, they remarried too soon after a 24-year marriage, and you questioned their decision to marry individuals who resided out of state and country, respectively. Now, in your new normal, you only see your father for three months a year because he lives in another state with his new wife, and your mother travels between the United States and a new country with her new husband.
You feel as though your family has been torn apart and were blind to the possibility of redemption. Despite the disappointment and heartache, you began to see how God was at work. You realize that God has provided you with more people to love, support, and love on through this divorce. Throughout the process, God drew you closer to Himself. Dealing with divorce can also bring you into contact with other Christians who have experienced the same thing. Even within the Christian community, high divorce rates discourage churches from broaching the subject.
A divorce is a tragic event capable of tearing families apart. However, it may also bring about new changes that have a positive effect on your life. Despite the fact that divorce can destroy families, it can also create new ones.
