Marriage Anchors

Give Thanks No Matter the Cross 

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”  Galatians 6:14 NIV

God has designed and ordained our lives from conception to earthly departure. There are many who do not yet grasp that He is the Designer of our difficult trials we each face. What He wills for my life will be different from yours. He either sends or allows challenges to, first, draw us to Christ and second, to forge Christlike character in us.

I experience pain when my life derails by either poor choices or by His sovereign will. Sometimes, God will bring difficult people in my life. Who has not had a bad boss, a shaming teacher, or a betraying friend? How about that family member that just does not like you or the ground you walk on? These out-of-joint relationships hurt and sometimes the consequences seem not in our favor.      

Other times, illness, injury, or an accident take me from the path I was on and push me to another….one that I would never request. Someone once said, “Life isn’t fair.”

God knows how upset I get when He does not answer prayers or lead the way I think He should. His timing and answers are not according to Anne’s desires or plan! Ouch!

Paul, in Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

I know God loves me, unworthy sinner that I am. The verse above has two questions for me:   1) Do I love God in return? 2) Am I called according to His purpose?

Loving God in return means I will seek Him with passion and thirst for His presence in His Word, the Bible. It means I will desire to obey Him even though I stumble and fail at times. It means I will trust Him, and love and forgive other wretched sinners like myself. I am learning I can only do this as I fully surrender my heart, my will, and my whole life to Him by faith throughout the day.

If you humbly ask Him to help you to love Him, He will, and you will be called according to His purpose!

Loving Jesus means I want to spend time with Him, walk with Him, and practice His presence moment by moment, hour by hour. He will never leave me nor forsake me! Because of what He did for me on that Cross, I want to avail all of me to Him for His glory.

When I ponder all this, I find the strength to give thanks for the little crosses the Lord asks me to bear for His glory. Would you consider joining me in choosing to give thanks even if you do not feel thankful for your present cross?

Regardless, I want you to know that even though I do not know you personally, if you are hurting, my heart hurts with you. I will pray for you.

“Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.”  2Corinthians 1:7

“This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.”  Psalm 119:50

“who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”  2Corinthians 1:4

For further reading: A Chance To Die | Marriage Anchors

By Anne Borgen

Hey, check out my website, "envoy" with this link: https://m.youtube.com/@anneborgen

 All Scripture references are from the ESV unless otherwise noted.

Trust Him

 ‘And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”’  Matthew 26:39 NASB

Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was honest with His Father about the hardship of His path. He considered the people in it, the pain, and the difficulty of the process. He clearly desired another way. His gut-wrenching language? Prayer. His ultimate response? Obedience.

Jesus, God and man in one, knew of the sheer terror and hellish loss He was about to endure. He knew His Heavenly Father had the power to do anything. Yet, the issue here was not the Father’s power but the humility and submission of the Son. The battle was won here in the Garden of Gethsemane. The serpent’s head was crushed here by Jesus as He surrendered to His Father’s will on our behalf. (Genesis 3:15)

The Lord Jesus showed great valor in choosing the unthinkable. Choosing His Father’s will meant choosing death, judgment, and abandonment…all that we deserved. Even though He sweat drops like blood, His loving faith never faltered. God, the Father, knew from eternity past that this was the “Will” that must be done. ‘Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”’ Matthew 26:42

Do we pray believing that God could or would move heaven and earth for us?

Do we love and entrust ourselves to Him through total surrender so that even though it may cost us everything, we desire His will above ours?

Trust Jesus with the pain, the path, and the people in it. Trust Him with the process too. Jesus was and is our example of absolute surrender in the Garden and on the Cross. I am not saying it is easy. I battle against this. I often find myself wanting God’s will and plan to go my way. I do not think I am alone here.

 I want certain prayers answered certain ways. In fact, just recently, I spent months pleading with God for justice in a certain situation and He sent me a dream where very clearly, He showed me His desire was for me to show mercy (withhold judgment or discipline from someone who deserves it).

I will never forget waking up at 2 A. M. confused and bewildered. I blurted out to Him "Mercy? Really?", upon which I was immediately humbled. You see, friends, who can understand the mind of God? His thoughts are not like ours. His ways are much higher. Many nights I beg Him for healing of the sickness I am enduring. Every one of those nights He gently meets me with this precious sense that the ailment is a gift to me somehow. 

God is doing things in our lives that we cannot fully understand. Be rest assured we do not have to understand it. We must trust, surrender, and obey.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust Him. 

By Anne Borgen

Hey, check out my website, "envoy" with this link: https://m.youtube.com/@anneborgen

All Scripture references are from the ESV unless otherwise noted.

Night Watches

Have you ever cried out to the Lord with such earnestness of soul that it can go on throughout an entire night? 

I found my soul searching and crying out for God this way. I would cry out with all that I had, and He would answer me in the night.

"Things are a mess God. I have failed."

Immediately I would hear Him say, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." -Romans 8:1. I moved to my next woe, "It's a mess God." and He said, "I'll clean it up. I make all things new." -Revelation 21:5. … but then I wailed, "It is all too much!" to which He said, "take one day at a time." -Matthew 6:34.

I pleaded, "But to be Home with you would be so much easier!” He said, "It is not your time yet.” -Job 14:5 and "… I know the plans I have for you, ‘declares the Lord,’ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

The Lord has an answer in the night watches for those gut-wrenching pleas we sometimes dare to cry out. Sometimes my soul cries out from the depths…there are no words. He understands.

He sees the purpose of our pain and suffering. -2 Timothy 1:8; 2 Timothy 3. He plans our time on earth and the way through it with His governance and help. Sometimes He is a quiet listener. Other times He answers me in the darkest of nights when it feels like I am the only one awake on earth.

He never slumbers.

He sees you tossing and turning. If you listen closely, you will hear His Word soothe you for He gives rest to those He loves. Psalm 127:2. He knows you are weak, inconsistent, and in great need of a Helper. He is here for you right now.

“My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,

That I may meditate on your promise.” -Psalm 119:148 ESV

By Anne Borgen

Hey, check out my website, "envoy" with this link: https://m.youtube.com/@anneborgen

If you want to learn more about our Helper, the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Jesus), click below:

https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:2dc2c229-c209-3485-800b-a4ec6db170fe

All Scripture references are from the ESV unless otherwise noted.

God is with you.

v10 "… He's here! The man who appeared to me the other day!”  v16 “The angel of the Lord replied, ‘even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord. (Manoah did not realize that it was the Angel of the Lord.)’” Judges 13:10, 16

It has been a month of medicine changes causing tumultuous adjustments and turmoil for me and my family. For any of you suffering with various illnesses from cancer, Parkinson's, diabetes, depression, Bi-Polar Disorder, OCD, and many others, you understand how necessary medicine is and what a blessed gift it is. You also understand that there are difficult downsides as well.

Balancing chemical components and getting the right med combination for your unique body and brain stem is like trying to steer a sick ship on a stormy sea. This is no easy task for the attending physician, the patient, and the patient’s family. All must be brave and patient participants. All must be on the same team. For me it had been a month of med alterations with difficulties trying to find solutions to set the sail on a calm sea. This will not happen overnight. It may take weeks or even months. In some cases, it may take years.

On a particularly stormy day of medication upheavals, I asked the Lord where He was. He led me directly to Judges chapter 13. I did not realize He was there with me through it all. He was helping me through the pain and confusion. He was and is my Strength.

In verse 19, We find this Angel of the Lord had told Manoah’s wife, barren for many years, that she will bear a son named Samson. He must live out the Nazarite Vow. He will “… begin to deliver (disobedient, doing evil) Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” verse 5cKJV

“And the Angel of the Lord said to him (Manoah, the husband and soon to be father of Samson)‘Why Do You Ask My Name, seeing it is wonderful?’” Judges 13:18 NKJV [Note: The Angel of the Lord shows Himself to be Jesus, in taking the name wonderful. Read Isaiah 9:6 [1]

Further proof to Manoah and his wife that this was God (the pre-incarnate Jesus) is that in verse 20, this “Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar!” You see, up until late in this marvelous scene, the future parents of Samson did not know that God was really with them.

By faith[2], certainly not my feelings, and because God led me to this passage in Judges, I realized that my Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and Comforter was with me through my misery, my doubts, and my pain. He was with me even in my failures which were many.

My friend, if you have called or even cried out in desperation for Jesus to save and deliver you, I am convinced He is with you in your storm, in your sick bed, or in your trouble and He will help you. You may not recognize Him at first. Manoah and his wife sure did not. But rest assured He is with you! “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (“Matthew 28:20b”) Matthew 28:20b NKJV

[1]David Guzik Commentary https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Jdg/Jdg-13.cfm?a=224001

[2]Definition of Faith: Choosing to live as though the Bible is true, regardless of circumstances, emotions, or cultural trends. (destined for security – of the 4 book ‘destined’ series, Life Builders, Cru 2003, 2011, 2013.)

By Anne Borgen

If you would like the clear and true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, click here: https://marriageanchors.com/2012/05/18/your-anchor-dont-leave-port-without-him/

Hey, check out my website, "envoy" with this link: https://m.youtube.com/@anneborgen

"Known"

He knows us far better than we know ourselves...   Romans 8:27 (paraphrased)

It was the 2nd surgery in three months. I sat alone in the hospital getting prepped for surgery. The nurse came in. We'll call her Suzie. She couldn't get my I.V. started in my right arm so we talked as she tried the left arm instead. 

Without warning, I heard the deep, quiet, inner voice of the Holy Spirit speak to me one simple phrase about Suzie. I knew what the Lord wanted me to do with the information. I could feel His total adoration for this lady. He impressed the following phrase on my mind: "Her favorite color is purple and she's an atheist". 

I looked up at Suzie, still trying to get a vein to cooperate for her, she wasn't wearing a lick of purple and yet I knew what I had to do. As an envoy for the Gospel, I gently said "Suzie, may I say something to you without totally scaring you?" She tapped my vein in deep concentration and said, "Sure no problem. Go for it." so I gently said, "Your favorite color is purple, isn't it?" 

Bam, she got my vein set up perfectly, looked up and said, "How would you know that?" To which I kindly replied, "… the same way I know you're an atheist."

“God knows you, Suzie, and He loves you very much. Would you do me a favor and read your Bible tonight and give Jesus a chance to show you His great love for you?” 

Suzie stopped all her nurse work and said, "If He knows me like that. I sure will".

God knows you and not only loves you," but He likes you just the way you are.

“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ dies for us.”

                                                                                                                      Romans 5:8 ESV

Call on Jesus. He will help you. He really will.

"And anyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;" Joel 2:32a NIV

By Anne Borgen

If you would like the clear and true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, click here: https://marriageanchors.com/2012/05/18/your-anchor-dont-leave-port-without-him/

Hey, check out my website, "envoy" with this link: https://m.youtube.com/@anneborgen

"Had God forgotten me?"

"but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 NIV

I was in sick in bed many years with depression that led to a culmination of several illnesses.  I fainted frequently and could barely walk. I would lay in bed and watch traffic for something to do. I often cried or slept. I lost most of my friends, pushed everyone away, and went into years of desperation and loneliness.

I felt I was cracking, and that God had forgotten me. I thought, perhaps, He was mad at me.  I hated the verse listed above because it was everything I wasn't. I'd waited years on the Lord and my strength was not renewing. I would profess God's goodness knowing I was being tested but deep down I was desperate for relief. I needed hope.

People who are chronically sick grow weary.  I don’t know of any church ministry entitled,

“We Want You If You're Bedridden"

What company or establishment would hire someone with a résumé requiring years of sick days? I felt totally worthless and burdened.  I couldn’t meet the needs of my husband and daughters. I was emersed in shame.

My help didn't come till much later in God's perfect timing. Every word is true of Isaiah 40:31. God has a uniquely written and timed plan of delivery for every saint of His. He brought me through four doctors, thirty appointments, five medications, surgeries, and a spiritual rehabilitation that came through my parents that I never could've imagined.

In my case, they miraculously found the exact medication regimen to help treat my ailments. God uses the broken, the sick, and the imperfect to confound those who are proud. He sends a message to those people who think they have it all together. “You don’t.”

He loves you right where you're at today. He loves you…the real you…the one who is not even close to being perfect: The one who is weak. The one who is forgotten. The one who is sick. The one who fails. The one who needs a Helping and Saving God.

Sometimes The Lord Jesus will heal or deliver you. Other times He renews your strength and lifts your faith so you can keep soaring, running, or even just walking in this race. If you call on Him, He will show up.

“And everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved;” Joel 2:32a NIV

Do not give up.

Wait for God. He will renew you. 

By Anne Borgen 

Hey, check out my website, "envoy" with this link: https://m.youtube.com/@anneborgen

Desperate

It was dark outside and cold as I laid in the stretcher shaking uncontrollably from yet another seizure. Something happens to you when your body decides to do something completely out of your control.

My eyes squeezed shut. I could feel the paramedics trying to inject medication into my arm to override my systems malfunction. As arms, legs, and body shook, I remember wishing I could stop it. I was helpless against each passing wave of convulsions. Then a gentle thought hit my mind at exactly the moment I needed: "The Lord is in control even when I've lost all of mine."

In that moment, I felt the most loved by God in all my life. You see, God loves us in our most helpless moments when we're shaken and at the mercy of other helping hands. He loves to love us so that we too can go out and love others in the same way. What a God we have who keeps no debts but that of love.

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law." Romans 13:8 NIV

Anne Borgen 2022 

Hey, check out my website, "envoy" with this link: https://m.youtube.com/@anneborgen