Tools For Battling Discouragement
Many of you who are familiar with my personal story know that I recently found a great deal of comfort in the following verses from 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, which say Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. The meaning of these verses is so obvious when the Lord uses the trials and testimonies of others to help when we’re going through similar experiences in our own lives, especially since it is so encouraging to hear the testimonies of people with restored marriages when we’re standing against the odds (and the rest of the world) for the restoration of our marriages. So it’s important for us to support those who answer the Lord’s called to use the word of their testimony and the wisdom gained through their experiences to support and encourage others. And we do that by taking advantage of the tools the Lord has led them to provide, in addition to supporting their ministries financially through contributions or by purchasing the materials they provide for our benefit.
Charlyne and Bob Steinkamp, of Rejoice Marriage Ministries, faithfully devote themselves to the call the Lord placed on their lives to use the experience of their divorce and remarriage for HIS glory, and to overcome the works of the devil as he comes against marriages in an effort to destroy the fabric of Christian homes. And even though I don’t know Bob and Charlyne personally, it’s obvious that they devote a great deal of their time and lives to the marriage restoration ministry God has called them to, and they definitely provide some very powerful and useful tools for anyone involved in the battle to save or restore their marriages. Bob recently voiced his concern for standers who want to give up, and pointed out that they tend to be the same people who DON’T take advantage of the FREE resources provided through their ministry, which is something I can relate to as well. So, in an effort to encourage the visitors to our ministry to use the awesome tools provided by Rejoice Marriage Ministries, the following links are just a few I know will be a great source of comfort and encouragement…FOR ANYONE COMMITTED ENOUGH TO THE RESTORATION OF THEIR MARRIAGE TO USE THEM! I often tell the FAM members that if I were to give them one hundred dollars and they took it, but didn’t spend it, it would be totally worthless. And it’s the same way with the tools provided by marriage restoration ministries responding to God’s call on their lives to stand against the works of the devil for marriage restoration. The tools they (and God) provide are USELESS unless we USE them! So take advantage of the free resources Bob and Charlyne make available on their website:
Charlyne Cares, a daily message of encouragement and support from Charlyne or Bob, which is also available by email, and archived messages are available here too.
Restored Marriage Testimonies…and LOTS of them!
Praise Reports & Testimonies…and TONS of them!
Fight For Your Marriage, weekly audio messages from Charlyne each Monday, including archived messages.
Ladies, I really hope you’ll take advantage of these tools, especially when you’re battling discouragement. Because more than likely, you’ll find exactly what you need to hear or read at just the time you need it the most, which is EXACTLY how God intends it to work in His kingdom! I’ll be adding these links and some others in the coming days to FAM Resources, so they’ll be easier to find again in the future.
And during the inevitable times when we need an extra measure of comfort and reassurance, we can rely on Isaiah 61:1-3, which says The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. And when we need even more comfort and encouragement, it will help to read Isaiah 40. God is ALWAYS faithful to provide all of the comfort and encouragement we need as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, but it is up to us to receive it, and we do that by using the tools He provides through the ministries of the men and women He has given a burden for marriage restoration.