Esther & Zechariah
Singapore
"Hello there, I am grateful to have this opportunity to share the testimony of our restored marriage. My name is Esther (the stander), and my husband's name is Zechariah. We met on Facebook, and two years later, we got married in December of 2021. We were a loving couple, and Zechariah was kindhearted, which was one reason I was attracted to him. For the first seven months, we had fights and yet would figure a way around them. During this time, my family went through hard stuff, and I shouldered my family's responsibilities without realizing Zechariah felt neglected. To make matters worse, we fought frequently, and I'd remove my rings and loosely use the 'D' word for divorce. Finally, on the eighth month of our marriage, Zechariah decided he wanted out and filed for a legal separation. I was desperate and tried everything in my power to beg, cry, and plead with him to give our marriage a chance, but nothing worked. Zechariah cut off all contact with me, so we had no face-to-face meetings. He changed his phone number and blocked me everywhere. He hired a lawyer and filed the paperwork to legally separate while awaiting divorce. He stayed with his sister, who disliked me and was bent on making my husband move on to a new life. It was stressful dealing with legal matters, and I was on the verge of losing my matrimonial home. During the ten months of this process, I also lost my job. I had no contact with anyone from Zechariah's family until God softened my mother-in-law's heart towards me. It was then I learned a little about his life from her. When our marriage crumbled, I believe I fell into the arms of God because the next day, there was a women's conference at my church. I remember receiving prayers and words of encouragement from those who knew and those who didn't know my situation. Various online resources taught me what "standing for my marriage" meant. It wasn't an easy journey, but I told God I had no plan B. Those ten months were long and tiring, but God was my fortress. God brought many resources and people alongside me in my journey who gave me strength and made my faith stronger. I knew I couldn't reach Zechariah, but God certainly could! Meanwhile, my husband refused any attempts at amends or counseling and refused to work things out between us. I came to a place of full surrender and ultimately gave in to all Zechariah's demands. I prayed scriptures over him and went into spiritual warfare. The Lord truly intervened in March 2023 in regard to the legal separation because both lawyers failed to file the same papers that would allow the government to take back the house. Zechariah still filed his papers, but I knew the mistakes were no coincidence, and I refused to sign them. My faith went to a new level. I lost my job, but God gave me a job that was right where my husband was living. I had not seen him for ten months, but I knew God was working all things for my good. Romans 8:28 was my key verse during my stand. During my first two weeks of work, I unintentionally met Zechariah three times. I remembered that God was in control and remained calm. The third time, my husband himself stopped to talk with me. He shared how God was working in his heart, and we reconciled! The legal papers were removed, and we got our married status back! God truly watched over our home, and we are in the process of renovations. We have learned to trust God for everything and to put Him first. We also learned to cherish each other better and value our marriage. My husband truly knows it was God who gave us our marriage back. Remember, whatever your situation is, God is in charge, and yes, He has the final word. It doesn't matter what the lawyers or the courts say because, as inspired by God, Isaiah said, "The government rests on His shoulders." If God did it for us, He surely will do it again! Stand firm and fight; remember, you are not alone!"
