DIVORCE
HAPPENED TO ME
A Biblical Guide to Divorce Recovery
Dr. Scott Wilson
Crag Publications
Crag Publications
Parkersburg, WV
Divorce Happened to Me:
A Biblical Guide to Divorce Recovery
by Dr. Scott Wilson
Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Scott Wilson
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Published in eBook format by Crag Publications
Converted by http://www.eBookIt.com
eBook ISBN: 978-0-9903591-1-1
For more resources by Dr. Scott Wilson go to
www.cragministries.com or www.sermonaudio.com/drscottwilson
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
This book is dedicated to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my immediate family, and the few who stood by my side during those difficult days of divorce.
Preface
I can say with all honesty that never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I’d be the author of a book on divorce. Like every other man or woman that entered into holy matrimony, I thought my marriage would be the exception to the rule, but sadly it was not, and divorce happened to me!
Religious society is certainly not without many opinions on the issue of divorce, and sadly, much of the advice and opinions are shared from those who’ve never experienced the pain of divorce. I sincerely believe the Lord can and will use the principles of this work to help you because I am not writing from an outsider’s perspective, but rather from my own firsthand experience with divorce. Going through a separation and then divorce was a very difficult time for me. I was forced to walk a road that I thought I’d never have to travel. I wish that I could say to you that I am writing this book because I did such a masterful job at navigating this difficult road, but I cannot. Rather, my purpose in this writing is to help you realize that you’re not alone, the Lord still loves you, and to hopefully help prepare you to deal with the different stages of suffering you will face throughout your divorce.
I will be the first to tell you that there is no perfect way of dealing with or getting through a divorce. Every situation contains different variables and scenarios that must be dealt with. This is not a book about ten steps to a successful divorce. In this book, we deal with the different stages and emotions that you will experience as a result of a divorce and try to give comfort, while offering a biblical perspective for your situation. For much of the book, we will follow the suffering and life of Job. Despite what anyone says, divorce is a time of great suffering, and who better to learn about suffering than from Job.
The thing that sets this book apart from most other books on divorce is that it deals with divorce from the perspective of a Christian. All of the teachings and principles found in this book are taken directly from the Word of God. As if a divorce wasn’t hard enough as a human being, it can be doubly difficult as a child of God. There are many additional things that a Christian deals with when going through a divorce that a non-Christian does not. It is for that reason that this work is written primarily with God’s people in mind.
In much of the literature produced today, even in the religious community, one must eat the meat and spit out the bones. Many books are filled with excessive wordiness and opinions that have no biblical basis and requires some weeding out. Going through a divorce is hard enough without having to suffer through hundreds of words when ten would have been sufficient. It is for that purpose that the chapters of this book are short and concise. It’s my prayer that this will allow every reader the opportunity not only to receive help quickly, but also to receive help that is easily remembered for future reference and recollection.
If you picked up this book and do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, then I’d like to tell you that God loves you and desires to help you. The Bible teaches us in Psalm 34:18 that “the LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” The word “nigh” means to be close, near, and ready to support, and that’s what Christ wants to be to you. He is able to bring comfort and healing to your broken heart, but in order to receive His aid, you must first receive Him as Savior.
The Lord loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die on the Cross of Calvary to take away your sins. Jesus Christ was innocent and without sin, and the only One righteous enough to enter into Heaven. He loved humanity so much that He took all the sins of the world upon Himself on the Cross, and He being innocent, paid the debt of the guilty so we could go free. Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross and His resurrection from the grave three days later purchased our entrance into Heaven. Now, we who are sinners can enter into Heaven because Jesus paid our sin debt for us.
All we have to do in order to spend eternity in the glorious wonders of Heaven is to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. If there has never been a time in your life when you’ve placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, then according to Ephesians 2:1, you are “dead in trespasses and sins.” The good news is that you don’t have to remain dead in sin, but you can live eternally through God by accepting His Son, Jesus Christ. In Romans 10:9, the Bible says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, I invite you to stop right where you are, bow your head, and pray these words from your heart, “Dear God in Heaven, I am a sinner and I need a Savior. I believe that Jesus died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, and I am asking You to forgive my sins, come into my heart, and be my Savior.” If you prayed that prayer from your heart and you are sincerely trusting Christ as Savior, then you just made the greatest decision you could ever make in your life. I’d encourage you to find a Bible believing church near your home to attend this Sunday. After the, speak to the pastor and tell him about your decision to trust Christ and allow him to guide you and help you to follow Christ in believer’s baptism.
It is my sincere desire that God will use this book to help you. I know that your world has been turned upside down, and you’re wondering how life is going to go on, but let me encourage you to take life day by day and trust God all along the way! I believe with all my heart that the truths in this work can and will help you. I believe that so strongly because they are rooted and grounded in the truth of God’s Word. Open your heart to Christ’s Word and let Him lead you through this valley in your life. May God bless you as you read!
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When Thou Vowest a Vow
“When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it;
for