I’m praying for you and ask you to pray for me as I write and post blogs this month. I’ll be sharing my heart, resources, encouragement, and hope. October is National Domestic (DV) Awareness Month in the United States—some information may be triggering.

GOD, WHAT IS YOUR HEART? *
God, what is Your heart, if not the sanctity of life?
From the womb to the tomb doesn’t that include the gift of a wife?
Do You hate divorce more than You love the soul of a life?
Do You even notice when a husband bullies his wife?
Do You care when Your daughter’s in harm’s way?
Do You see her cowering dreading another day?
Do You turn a blind eye, give a wink, and a nod?
Does that man-of-God’s actions, betray, revealing a fraud?
What do You think when a husband threatens the life of his wife?
Do You think the man should cherish and honor her all of his life?
For better or worse until death do us part;
Does that include death by the man’s hands who’s promised his heart?
God, what is Your heart if not the sanctity of life?
From the womb to the tomb doesn’t that include the gift of a wife?🌻

Throughout the Word of God, we see the heart of God. He is for the fatherless, orphans, widows, poor, captives, slaves, outcasts, downtrodden, abused, foreigners, the oppressed.

Luke 4:16-19, “And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’”

Hebrews 13:8, John 14:9b, Colossians 1:15a, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever…Whoever has seen me [Jesus] has seen the Father…Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.”

James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”

My journey from Victim…to surviving…to walking out what it looks like becoming a Survivor has included tears beyond measure, times of anxiety and panic attacks where I’d tell myself to breathe and say out loud, “God is with me; God is for me” while grabbing my phone to call a trusted friend.

Gracious Jesus has surrounded me with people who are Jesus with skin on—like a glass of cold water continually being poured out and overflowing on this bruised and weary soul. These people include a Christian counselor, women of faith in Christian support groups, a Church Family, a small community group of Jesus-Followers, plus precious friends.

We live in a world today where the lines between good and evil have gone beyond blurred; lines have been drawn; sides have been taken. We live in a world where many today are calling good evil and evil good. And God has spoken.

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21).

Is it OK for someone you do not know to break into your house threaten, harass, and bully you and/or your children? Of course not. It’s also not OK for someone you do know, living under the same roof, to threaten, harass, and bully you and/or your children. This behavior is not OK in your house, outside of your house, or anywhere.

During wilderness wanderings and dark scary valleys, God has used two verses to anchor me in Jesus Christ. Powerful truths that have meant life to me and encouraged me. I pray these words from the Word of God encourage you, too.

Psalm 34:18, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 58:8, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

These verses have meant life to me, for the One who gave me life, has faithfully kept these promises to me giving me hope. At times Jesus’ presence has been as close as my very breath. He has comforted my broken heart and lifted my downcast spirit. He sees me. He sees every tear. I matter to Jesus, and He loves me with an everlasting love.

Jesus also sees you. He sees your every tear. You matter to Jesus, and He loves you with an everlasting love. You are on this earth for such a time as this; God has a purpose and plan for you. You may be in a place where that’s hard to see or believe. I get that; still it’s true—God has a purpose and plan for you!

As I’ve shared, I have not walked this path alone. Others have come alongside me. It’s important for you, too, to have others come alongside you. Reach out to others. Check out the RESOURCES below. You can reach me through the CONTACT link on the Homepage Navigation Bar.

Precious One, I pray the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN (Romans 15:13).

RESOURCES

Call 911 if you are in a life-threatening situation.

National Domestic Violence Hotline
Phone: 800-799-SAFE (7283)
Website: https://www.thehotline.org/

Book: Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse by Natalie Hoffman

Book: The Emotionally Destructive Marriage by Leslie Vernick

One day there will be no more tears (See Revelation:21:4).

“GOD WHAT IS YOUR HEART?” Copyright © 2021 Rhonda L. Barrett 🌻