The Word of God teaches us how to live in a way that keeps God’s blessings flowing in our direction, but sometimes, we do things that hinder the flow. This is a critical truth that can be very helpful for single women. We hear from many of you. You tell us how exhausting it is to keep pressing, and how disappointed you’ve been with the men you’ve dated. Many of you talk of giving up the quest. You say that you don’t know what you’re doing wrong, and you can’t figure out why the Lord hasn’t blessed you. It’s too frustrating to keep trying, you say.
We all know the verse in Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), where Jesus Christ tells us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” God wants to add to you. He wants to increase you, and He wants the truth of this scripture to sink deep within your heart. When it does, a revelation will be deposited in your soul.
This revelation will be so consequential to your journey forward because it holds a key piece of practical knowledge that will aid your faith, and turn your exhaustion into fuel. In Deuteronomy 2:3 (NLT), God told the Israelites, “You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough;” The people of God were wandering about aimlessly, and it is clear that it did not please God. Think about that. Let it marinate a bit.
Heavenly Father is an on-purpose God, and He created us to be an on-purpose people. Wandering without purpose, direction, and conviction should not be a part of our make-up. We should steer clear of this kind of lifestyle because it isn’t pleasing to the Lord.
God reveals much about Himself through His promises. Our response to His promises not only requires our faith, but it requires action. Salvation is a free gift. It is not based on our works, but faith is a response of gratitude to God for all that He’s given us. He expects that it will be backed with the energy of our conviction and a demonstration of our love.
James 2:26 affirms and reminds us that faith without works is dead. We forget sometimes that ‘dead as a doorknob’ is how God views a faith that isn’t backed with good works. The people of Israel in the Old Testament wandered aimlessly in the hill country because they refused to execute God’s provision. He gave them the promise of inhabiting a land of milk and honey, but fear kept them bound.
In Deuteronomy 1:22 (MSG), Moses reminded them of how it all went down. He said “But then you all came to me and said, “Let’s send some men on ahead to scout out the land for us and bring back a report on the best route to take and the kinds of towns we can expect to find.”” This was a stall tactic, and it is what some of us do when our commitment and faith isn’t where it should be.
Moses then said in verses 29-33, “I tried to relieve your fears: “Don’t be terrified of them. God, your God, is leading the way; he’s fighting for you. You saw with your own eyes what he did for you in Egypt; you saw what he did in the wilderness, how God, your God, carried you as a father carries his child, carried you the whole way until you arrived here. But now that you’re here, you won’t trust God, your God—this same God who goes ahead of you in your travels to scout out a place to pitch camp, a fire by night and a cloud by day to show you the way to go.””
To encourage you in your quest to be married is an extreme privilege for us. We keep at it even though sisters don’t always respond the way we hope they will. We’ll never let up as long as the Lord tarries, because we are solidly convinced and fully persuaded that you can be who He says you can be, you can do what He says you can do, and you can have what He says you can have. It’s God great pleasure to see you happily married, and it is absolutely available to you. The truth that many sisters have a hard time facing is that, when it comes to partnering, you are either your best friend or your worse enemy.
The record in Deuteronomy 1 shows us that God’s people lacked the gumption to move with sheer determination and intention to claim the promise. Even after Heavenly Father had done so much for them, their minds and hearts were not elevated to a level of supernatural expectation. We live from the inside out. A lack of faith caused God’s people to have a wandering mind-and-heart-set. Because of it, they were scattered on the inside; therefore, they were scattered on the outside. This is the condition a lack of faith produces.
God’s reaction to their disobedience and lack of trust was equal to their fumbling and inaction. He told them in Deuteronomy 1:36 (MSG), “Not a single person of this evil generation is going to get so much as a look at the good land that I promised to give to your parents. Not one—except for Caleb son of Jephunneh. He’ll see it. I’ll give him and his descendants the land he walked on because he was all for following God, heart and soul.” This is the question that all of us must ask and answer for ourselves. Are we all for following God, heart and soul? Because if we are, we will never give up. We’ll keep pressing ourselves to back our faith with good works, and do so with the confidence that God will fulfill the promise. ■
Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The “Wandering” Syndrome”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2017. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.