To the world, even to the human eye, a marriage can appear doomed. God wants to give you hope for your marriage because He is greater than our circumstances!

“Well, those two will wake up hating each other,” one of the guests confidently predicted as he took another bite of our wedding cake.

He was an invited guest, as well as one of the pastors of the church we had formerly attended, so the statement was as surprising as you’re probably picturing. Apparently, I had just pledged my life to someone whom I would grow to hate before I even got out of bed in the morning.

And that’s not the only time I’ve heard doom spoken over our marriage.

The second time I learned that there was “no chance” for us was eight years later, after the birth of our fifth child, who was born with severe brain damage. The NICU head doctor
pulled me into the hospital hallway to inform me, “Eighty-five percent of the marriages between parents of children like yours with severe special needs end in divorce.”

Otherwise stated, our marriage was statistically destined to dissolve.

Two people we had reason to respect and trust had little or no hope for a happy, lasting union for us.

I know. Who would speak such devastating words over a couple?

Or you may not be surprised to hear it at all. Perhaps you’ve heard similar statements spoken over your own romance, such as “They’ll never make it,” or “They’ve got too much going against them,” or “Those two had such a rough start, there’s no fixing it now.”

And now you’re starting to believe it.

Or maybe it’s not other voices that have discouraged you but dark whispers of your own. You come from a family with a long history of divorce, and you wonder if it’s only a matter of
time before you end up there as well. Or you and your husband may have made so many mistakes or struggled with so many problems that you can’t see a way forward.

It feels hopeless.

Hope for Your Marriage

And perhaps it would be. Except for one important life-changing, life-giving truth: Our God is a Redeemer, and nothing is ever hopeless in Him. He is able to make a way where there
doesn’t seem to be one. He can heal wounds and reconcile relationships that no one thought possible.

While we could look at many verses on the power of God to break through barriers and overcome hurdles, let me share with you a couple of my favorite verses found in Ephesians.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that
we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to
him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all
generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20–21)

You can see why I love this passage, can’t you? In particular, the part about God being able to do “far more abundantly”—or, in the King James Version, “exceedingly abundantly”—than
anything we could ask or even think. And how can this be? It is because of His dynamis (in the Greek), or His power to perform miracles, and there is nothing too hard for Him.

Yes, God is able—more than able.

So, if you’re struggling with hopelessness in your marriage right now, put your hope in the God who redeems, remembering He wants to renew and restore your relationship even more than you do.

My prayer is that you will abound in hope, friend.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Rom. 15:13)

Reflection

· Have you ever heard negative or discouraging words spoken over your marriage?
· Do you have hope for your marriage? And do you believe God is powerfully at work in you?

Application

If you are wrestling with discouraging voices—whether someone else’s or your own—then determine right now that you will drown out those voices with the Voice of Truth. One way to do this is to write out as many true statements as you can based on the promises in God’s Word.

Here are a few examples that come to my mind:

· He will renew my strength as I wait on Him (see Isa.
40:31).
· With God, all things are possible (see Matt. 19:26).
· I hope for what I do not yet see (see Rom. 8:24–25).

And, if you want to keep going, here are some more encouraging verses for you: Psalm 39:7; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 12:12; Colossians 1:27; Hebrews 11:1; and 1 Peter 1:3. I anticipate you’ll be overflowing with hope by the time you’re done with this study!

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that You will fill my heart with hope. Help me to believe that with You, all things are possible. In faith, I want to trust that You are working in ways I cannot yet see. In Jesus’s name, amen.

*This is an excerpt from Loving Your Husband Well by Lisa Jacobson. You can also read an excerpt from Matt’s devotional for husbands, Loving Your Wife Well, here.

Matt and Lisa’s NEW Marriage Devotionals Are Here!

Imagine if, at the end of the year, despite your busy schedules and all the demands on your time and attention, you and your husband were more in sync, more connected, and more in love than ever before. Sounds amazing, right?

That kind of marriage is what is waiting for you as you read through the fifty-two weekly devotions in Loving Your Husband Well. Each entry includes a specific theme, related Scripture, a powerful devotion, thoughts for further reflection, practical ideas, and a prayer, all designed to help you love, cherish, and serve the man who shares life’s journey with you.

You can read on your own, but even better is reading alongside your husband as he reads, Loving Your Wife Well by my husband, Matt. This devotional will stimulate much conversation, bring positive changes in behavior, help you draw closer to God, and will fill you both with hope for your future together.