Romans 5:1: Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

I confess that I have had a very hard time understanding how believers can get divorced. I try to justify my own divorce by claiming that I didn't know any better. I was divorced before I met Jesus Christ. I was young and held my marriage in low regard. I gave up on it at the first sign of real trouble. My mother had been divorced three times so I guess I didn't view marriage as something permanent anyways.

Once I accepted Christ and I learned about God's plan for marriage, I actually went through a grieving process then as I realized what I had lost out on; what my son would be losing out on all his life. I realized then how divorce grieves the heart of God.

I like to pretend that I would not have gotten the divorce if I had known then what I know now, but I don't really know that. I won't ever know. So, I am filled with compassion towards believers who go through divorce, whatever the reason. And of course, my heart breaks for those who are divorced because of someone else's choice.

We all have to learn to accept God's forgiveness for our divorce. I hear some people talk at length about how they have come to peace with God about their divorce and feel that He understands. I'm sorry but God does not "understand" your divorce. He will not be issuing you a "certificate of approval" so that you can feel better about it. I know that many of you want to, but you don't have to justify your divorce to be able to find forgiveness from God.

We all have to simply face God squarely and admit that we have done something that He told us not to do, whether it was our choice or not, and ask Him to forgive us. And He will. He is not interested in holding us over a barrel. He just wants us to come close to Him and let Him bring healing to our broken lives.

Father, I know that your Word says that You hate divorce. I come to You with the broken pieces of my life and I ask you to forgive me. I acknowledge my failures and I choose not to blame others. I simply come to you for the forgiveness that you have promised me. Thank you for loving me so much. Help me to trust You to rebuild my life and fill up the empty places that have been created by my divorce. In Jesus Name, Amen.