There is Always Hope

Right now you are reading a short devotional about marriage. Maybe it arrived in your in-box. Maybe you found it on our website or saw a post on Facebook. Maybe someone tweeted the link and you clicked it.

Regardless of where you are reading or how you got here, I know one thing to be true: Your time is precious.

Most people won’t start reading marriage advice because they are just plain overwhelmed by the amount of free time they have and need something to do. If you are reading this, you probably have a good reason for it.

The assumption I make when I write these is that my readers are not reading for pleasure, but because they’re looking for help. They might be struggling with a difficult issue in their marriage. They might find themselves frustrated with their spouse, or even indifferent.

Some relationships may feel so fractured and damaged that it seems no amount of devotional reading or books can save it. Some readers might have ended up here feeling it’s the last stop before divorce.

If any of these descriptions resonate with you, then I want you to hear a very simple message I have for you about your marriage: THERE IS HOPE.

There is hope no matter how bad things seem at the moment.

There is hope no matter how frustrated you feel.

There is hope no matter how much pain and heartache you’ve experienced.

There is hope no matter how strained your relationship has become.

There is hope even if you feel completely out of sync with your spouse.

There is hope even if the only words you say to each other are hurtful.

There is hope even if all you see is the end of a broken love affair.

There is hope even when divorce seems the only option.

There is hope.

Karen and I have been married for four decades. We are happier and closer today than we ever imagined possible.

But we barely made it here. Early in our marriage we made mistakes that bordered on irreparable. Mistakes that very nearly shattered the foundation of our marriage—and it wasn’t a very strong foundation to begin with.

By the grace of God, we weathered these storms. We found the strength to move forward. We took the advice of some wise counselors. We prayed and talked and gave our marriage over to God, because only He could heal it.

In the process, we learned some profound, life-altering truths about ourselves and God’s purpose for our marriage. Ever since those days, we have been sharing those simple truths with others. We have seen God do amazing things. We have seen so many wounded marriages made whole.

All of this is to say: We know exactly what you’re going through. We have been there. And we know that it can get better. Broken marriages can be restored. Good marriages can become great.

Do not give up on your marriage, because there is hope. There is always hope.