“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the LORD, “because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.” This is what the LORD says: “I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.” Jeremiah 30:17–18 (emphasis added)

During our research for writing, Marriage on the Mend—Tangible Tools to Restore Your Relationship, we learned that for a variety of political, economic, and religious reasons, rebuilding a new civilization on top of a ruined one was a common practice for thousands of years. Archaeologists speculate that civilizations built on the ruins of their predecessors to obtain a clear conscience. In other words, these civilizations built on past ruins to wipe the slate clean and start over in a whole new way.

Because of Jesus’ death on the Cross, the same can be said for the ruins that occur as a result of broken marriages. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection give us the astounding privilege of restoring shattered relationships.

We will never forget the day, several years ago, that we returned to the church where we were married the first time. We hadn’t been there together for 18 years.

I cannot begin to describe the surging of the Holy Spirit as we apologized for breaking our marriage vows, asked for forgiveness from old friends, and shared the miraculous way God had reconciled our marriage after an eleven-year divorce. Needless to say, it was both a tear-filled and a joy-filled experience that we will never forget.

When we honestly acknowledge the painful experiences of the past and expose them to the healing light of Christ, He wipes the slate clean and starts rebuilding for a whole new future.