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by Dennis and Barbara Rainey

Malachi 2:16
"For I hate divorce," says the Lord, the God of Israel.

An ax has fallen on the family tree. For nearly 30 years the ax has chopped at the tree's trunk, leaving only the stump and a few roots showing. The branches and fruit lay withered, spoiled on the ground.

What is this destructive ax? Divorce. Far too many people use this deadly tool to sever human problems from their lives.

Many who read this have been the unwanted recipients of heart-splitting divorce decrees. I do not relish piercing your old wounds. Nor do I want to sound pious just because our marriage has worked when others haven't. Nor do I intend to place a heavy yoke of guilt on your neck.

There is no question that divorce brings deep humiliation and hurt. It can be seen on the faces of those who endure it. Newspapers print wedding pictures of smiling brides, but the divorce section contains only names. You can feel one man's anguish in a local classified advertisement:

I want it known to the public that I made mistakes all through my marriage to Linda. I said things that weren't right. I battered and abused her both physically and verbally. I was unfair in the property settlement. I acted like a fool. I am lower than the ground I walk on. I have to live the rest of my life now without the person I truly love and who used to love me with no chance to undo the wrong I've committed. I lost the best thing that ever happened to me-my best friend. People, don't take your marriages for granted like I did. Divorce is not just a seven-letter word. I ask to be forgiven by all those concerned.

Over one million tragedies like this take place every year. We can no longer be spectators in this battle for the family. There is more at stake than just two isolated people when a couple chooses divorce. Our nation's future is literally on the line. How can our nation survive when a field full of stumps replaces its rich heritage of thriving family trees? The erosion of our most precious resource-our children-will have a devastating effect on our nation's future.

Prayer:

That God will cement your family together and that you can realize His purpose for your home. Join me in asking God to heal our nation from divorce and the devastation it is bringing to millions of children's lives.

Discuss: Why do you think God hates divorce? (See 1 John 4:17.)

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