Vanessa Marquette - When Forever Never Comes: Divorce With Honor

When Forever
Never Comes

Divorce with Honor

Vanessa Marquette

Copyright 2019 Vanessa Marquette.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 (866) 928-1240

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery Getty Images.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6783-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6784-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019909045

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/26/2019

T hank you to my dear family and friends, who read this work with your unique eyes, providing feedback, prophecies, tears, and go forths! Thank you to my pastor, who told me to do what God has called you to do. I love you all more than the English language has the words to articulate.

Contents

I f you are reading these initial words, something in the title of this book caught your attention, pulled at your heart, or identified with your situation. Perhaps you are considering divorce, are going through a divorce, or are already divorced, and you are wondering how divorce and honor could be in the same sentence or arena of thought. Whether out of mere curiosity or necessity, I am pleased that you chose to follow your mind or heart to explore this book. It may very well be this book was written just for you. This book is a spiritual and emotional discovery that was achieved while navigating a personal journey through a divorce and beyond.

The initial journey of writing When Forever Never Comes: Divorce with Honor began nearly seven years ago. Even though I lived the contents of this book, it is not written as an autobiography. It was written as an inspirational instructional work that will prayerfully be a light to your pathway to deliverance and restoration of your soul. It is my desire for all who read this book to receive wise Godly counsel so that you may be healed from the wounds a divorce can inflict. Gods power to walk you through what might be your valley of the shadow of death of a divorce is ever present and active today. I pray His love consumes you, His grace embraces you, and His Spirit fills you to the overflow as you read and receive the tools you need to weather a divorce with honor.

I respectfully submit a word of wisdom to you before you finalize your divorce, separate, or wait for your final divorce decree. Please read these next few paragraphs with earnest self-reflection and honesty, asking God to make your heart transparent before your own eyes. As a result of the serious nature of the marriage covenant, a bit will be discussed about marriage itself.

Please note that included after each chapter is space to write your thoughts, reflections, and the words God speaks to you. It is my prayer that you will hear from God regarding your marriage covenantand just maybe you will avoid the journey through a divorce.

Chapter 1

You Are Now Husband and Wife

M arriage is a covenant first and foremost. In todays vernacular, I have heard marriage referred in terms of a contract, arrangement, or partnership. However, the born-again believer must view marriage, sanctioned by God, as a covenant between a man and a woman and not merely as a contract. The moment we gave our lives to God through the surrender of our wills to His and through the utterances of our mouths, He established His covenant with us. Romans 10:910 tells us that we had a life exchange: our death for His eternal life and all the inheritance therein. Likewise, when we made marital vows, a marriage covenant was established before God. In the sight of God, this can only be changed according to the scriptures. Let us look at what the word of God says:

The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. (Matthew 19:3-9). Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.

The above scriptures are explicit. This teaching of our Savior leaves no room for confusion. We must remember that Jesus answered the Pharisees according to the Law of Moses, which had already been established and was well-known by the Jewish leaders. Although Jesuss teaching took place many centuries ago, these truths regarding divorce remain applicable to this present day because Jesus tells us He did not come to do away with the Law but to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17).

The words that are spoken between the husband and the wife are the words of a marriage covenant. God takes covenant so seriously that He Himself analogized the husband and wife relationship to His relationship with the church (Ephesians 5:2233). This is an admonishment to make certain that through Gods revelation to you, regarding your own specific circumstances, you do or have done everything humanly and spiritually possible to keep your marriage covenant. There is peace that comes with obedience. The peace in knowing all things have been done to keep your marriage covenant will not make your journey easier, but it will provide you clean hands regarding the divorce and give you contentment of heart that you have done all that was required of you by God.

I suggest you pause here for prayer and reflection. Here is a prayer if you need help getting started.

Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus, and I ask You to show me any uncorrected wrong I have done, any areas in which I need to ask forgiveness regarding my marriage covenant. Give me wisdom, Father, regarding my husband/wife, _____ . Show me how to love and understand him/her, and tell me what I should do. I receive Your wisdom now, and I thank You, Father, that I am willing and obedient and I eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19).

In Jesuss name, Amen.

Thoughts and Reflect ions

Chapter 2