Jeremiah 29:11(NLT)
““For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.””
“If I don’t meet my husband before this summer, I’m going to take things into my own hands.” I chuckled when I heard Daphne make this statement. I told her, “That’s not going to fare well for you. Anytime that you take relationship matters into your own hands, it’s downhill from there.” This conversation took place over four months ago, and as of today, she still has not met anyone.
Daphne isn’t alone. I’m sure you’ve heard this from one or two of your single friends as well. You may have considered this line of thinking yourself, however, we will all do well to remember that God never makes a mistake. In Jeremiah 29:11, He gives us very plain and direct wisdom. He said, “I created you and I’m the One with the plan for your life. I know what I’ve ordained for you, and I only ordain what is best for my children. Stop trying to figure things out yourself. You don’t know the future, but I do. I have good plans for your future and My plans will keep you hopeful and blessed.”
Our Lord has plans for us, and those plans include a loving and committed spouse should we desire it, but if His plans don’t include a spouse, even that should be well with our souls. Our faith in God should be so firmly established that we are confident in whatever He plans for us.
Like any loving Father, God loves to see His daughters blessed. He’s interested in every detail of their lives. This just make sense. He created and established the family unit. Because of His masterful design, it is within the hearts of all good biological parents to want their children to enjoy a greater success and fulfillment than they did themselves. Some will even go to the extreme to ensure their children have the best of the best. Imagine how infinitely more care our Heavenly Father has taken to secure His good plans for our future. Our earthly parents are not perfect, and they make mistakes, but God is holy, perfect, and has all power in His hands. He will not miss a beat when it comes to helping us walk according to His plans for our lives. We just have to trust Him.
As single women of faith, we don’t have to worry about the details of meeting the man. We just have to be spiritually mature enough to stand strong in marriage through the temptations and challenges the devil sends. In other words, we must be spiritually ready when God presents us to our husbands, but for many of God’s daughters, spiritual preparation is nowhere on their minds.
Some of us are obsessing about marriage too much, and it’s all we think about. Whenever we obsess about a man or marriage, it is because we haven’t understood God’s requirements. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, he commands us in Matthew 28:19-20 to tell others about him and to teach them about him. We’re to do this continually, without end. 2Corinthians 5:20(NLT) declares, “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” We have a responsibility to Jesus Christ to share his Gospel. He tells us in John 15:8(NLT), “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”
For far too long, we have thought that sharing the Gospel is only for the person behind the pulpit. This is not biblical at all. The person behind the pulpit is responsible for equipping the people of God so that they are trained to share the Gospel themselves. We are the laborers that God has called to the field to bring in the harvest. If we miss this, we’ll miss a whole lot. Our commitment to do what God has commanded is the magnet for the blessing of marriage. But many of us expect the reward and have never labored in the field. Others labor in the field only to receive the reward of marriage. Jesus Christ commands that we have a heart and mind like his, that we share the Gospel solely motivated by our love for others and the reality that this is what pleases God.
James said in James 2:18(NLT), ““Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”” The question James poses in this verse hits it home. “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?” The good deeds required of every believer are those that involve sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ. Doing so is what causes our lives to be blessed. It positions us for the blessing of marriage because it shows that the love in our hearts is genuine, and we are spiritually mature in the faith. We can never afford to neglect the reality that our diligence to carry forth the mission of Jesus Christ will activate our faith. This is what God requires and this is what keeps us on track according to God’s plan.■
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.
“Trust God’s Plan for Your Life”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2022. 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.