Our Guest: Diane Bustamante

Diane Bustamante and her husband Ben haved lived in Italy for many years sharing the gospel, starting churches, and helping people grow in their faith. They’ve gone through some trials individually and as a family that would have ruined them but for God. Her story is real. It’s challenging. It reveals the power of God to not only restore, but to make things better than they were before.

Key Thoughts and Scriptures

Psalm 13 NLT …I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.

God can move in the hearts of the very young and call us for a life of following Him.
One little act of rebellion can lead you down a bad path.

Psalm 40:3 NLT He has given me a new song to sing…

God’s love constantly drew Diane back to Him.
There is nothing attractive about sin or the devil’s way.

Romans 6:1-4 NLT …Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

“Who can change me like that?!”
God knows us better than we know ourselves. All we need to do is say “yes” to the next step.

Deuteronomy 24:5 NLT A newly married man must not be drafted into the army or be given any other official responsibilities. He must be free to spend one year at home, bringing happiness to the wife he has married.

Diane learned that it’s important to take care of past hurts and pains in our lives.

Isaiah 45:15 NLT Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior, you work in mysterious ways.

The Lord is faithful to call us out of sin.

Matthew 18:15-17 NLT If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

If the enemy can’t get you to sin, he’ll try to wear you out.
Where there’s danger, you fast.

Restoration began as Diane went to God with her crisis.

Proverbs 3:13 NKJV Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding

God gave Diane spiritual eyes to see the situation so she could get beyond the hurt of her heart and gave her His love for her husband.

1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

We need to guard against strife especially in the home.

James 3:16 KJV For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

1 Corinthians 13:5 NLT …it keeps no record of being wronged.

2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ

We need to release hurt, forgive, and not hold on to bitterness.
The miraculous work of God allows us to forgive even when we don’t feel the emotions of forgiveness.
We as humans tend to categorize sin, but according to God sin is sin.
God wants us purified of all sin.
God is writing our story and He never makes a mistake. He will make our story beautiful.
There’s no place for someone staying in an abusive relationship.
God works amazingly when both parties are repentant.

Truths we can apply to our challenges:

Keep strife out of your home.
1. It’s an open door for the enemy to wreak havoc.
Continue to believe the best.
Pray and speak life.
1. Romans 4:17 NKJV God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did
2. Philippians 1:6 NKJV Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ
Don’t be rebellious or stubborn.
1. 1 Samuel 15:23 NKJV For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…

Luke 7:36-50 NKJV The woman who was forgiven much

Sometimes when we’ve walked with the Lord for a long time, we can forget how much we’ve been forgiven.

Romans 8:28-29 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

It’s often in the crucibles of life that we are purified.
When we’re desperate, every word of God is life to us and we’re willing to be changed.

Romans 15:13 NLT I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Books:

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

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My Marriage Was Restored By God, Diane Bustamante’s Story (Ep. 26)