Over the past two weeks, I have found myself standing in two very different yet deeply connected moments of ministry. I had the privilege of officiating the wedding of a couple who sincerely desire to live righteously before the Lord. At the same time, I have been walking alongside a family devastated by betrayal and standing on the brink of divorce.
Few wounds cut as deeply as betrayal within a marriage. Infidelity shatters trust, robs a marriage of joy, fractures a sense of safety, and leaves behind questions that feel impossible to answer. The pain is not only emotional, but it is spiritual as well. When covenant faithfulness is broken, the wounded spouse is often left asking, “How do I move forward when trust has been destroyed?”
Scripture does not shy away from this kind of pain.
Throughout God’s covenant relationship with Israel, we repeatedly witness unfaithfulness. God’s people gave their hearts to other gods, violated sacred trust, and turned away from the One who delivered them from the hands of their oppressors and had loved them faithfully. Again and again, the covenant was broken, yet again and again, God pursued restoration.
What stands out is not Israel’s failure, but God’s response. His demonstration of grace.
The apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 2:13: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
Faithlessness speaks of unbelief, betrayal, and broken trust. God understands that pain not only as the One who was betrayed by His people, but as the One who chose to remain faithful anyway.
For those who have suffered infidelity, this truth matters deeply.
God does not minimize betrayal. He does not excuse unfaithfulness. And He does not rush the healing process. Yet He also does not abandon those who have been wounded by it. The Lord remains present with the betrayed spouse, and steady when everything else feels unstable.
For the one who has been unfaithful, this truth also speaks.
God’s faithfulness does not remove responsibility, but it does open the door to repentance and restoration. Just as Israel was disciplined yet never abandoned, there is grace for the repentant heart. Healing begins where confession is honest, humility is embraced, and trust is rebuilt slowly and faithfully.
I know this all too well. For in a season of unfaithfulness towards my wife due to pornography viewing, my wife felt the full weight of betrayal. Yet, it was her act of grace to forgive that opened my eyes to see how God’s grace (His Faithfullness) leads to repentance (Romans 2:4). Her kindness, though underserving, led me to never offend God or her in this area ever again.
Marriage is a covenant, not a contract. Contracts end when terms are violated. Covenants pursue restoration because they are rooted in commitment. God’s covenant love models what faithful love looks like. God’s covenant love does not ignore sin, but its a love that refuses to give up on redemption.
For couples walking the long road of healing, know this:
- God is near to the brokenhearted.
- God understands betrayal more deeply than we realize.
- God remains faithful even when human faithfulness fails.
Healing does not happen overnight. Trust must be rebuilt, boundaries must be honored, and accountability must be established. Some marriages are restored fully, while others require wisdom, safety, and time. But regardless of the outcome, God’s faithfulness remains unshaken.
And for those who wonder if love can survive betrayal, the gospel whispers hope.
The same God who restored Israel time and again is able to restore hearts, rebuild trust, and redeem what seems irreparably broken. Whether healing comes through reconciliation or through God’s sustaining grace in the aftermath, His faithfulness does not waver.
When faith is broken, God remains faithful. When vows are violated, God remains present. When healing feels impossible, God remains at work.
And in His faithfulness, there is hope!
In His Love,
Pastor Lu