1Kings 3:7-9 (NLT) “7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. 8 And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! 9 Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
When Solomon became the king of Israel, he understood the gravity and weight of his responsibility. He knew that the people of Israel would look to him for guidance and leadership as their king, so, what did he do? He turned to God and prayed for discernment and wisdom to govern that great nation. Heavenly Father gave us free-will to make choices on our own, this means that we have the independence to choose which direction our life will go in. Solomon made a wise decision to ask God, who is intelligent beyond intelligence, to lead him in the right direction. While dating and marriage are not the same as ruling a kingdom, they still require the same mindset that Solomon had, which is to lean on God for answers and direction so that we don’t make a terrible mistake.
In 1Kings 3:7-9, Solomon humbled himself before our Heavenly Father, and this is required of all of us. Proverbs 22:4(NLT) tells us, “True humility and fear of the LORD lead to riches, honor, and long life.” A humbled heart is the first business we must complete before we attempt any endeavor in life. Like Solomon, we must understand that God is the Leader, and we are the followers. No matter our age or level of maturity, we are still children who do not know their way around. God created us to be children that continually and always lean on their Father. 2Corinthians 3:5(NIV) schools us on this matter and tells us, “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” Our Heavenly Father is our Source and sufficiency, and He is the supplier of all the blessings we possess and desire.
All of us want what is best for our lives, but on our own, we don’t know what that is. The only thing we know for sure is that God supplies our needs, and we should lean on Him, especially when it comes to the right person to walk with us through life. God has a plan for the entire universe, and it is extraordinary. Our lives fit into that plan, and God reminds us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He has a good plan for us as well, and His plan will give us hope and a pleasing future. We should know that the wrong person can interrupt God’s plan for us. The wrong person can steal our peace and contentment and cause us to stumble and lose momentum on this Christian journey. We can prevent this and we should.
This is one of the lessons that our past relationships teach us. We should have learned that the choice to do things on our own is not a workable strategy. It leads us down a troublesome path. Jesus Christ commands us in Matthew 6:33(NIV), “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Blessings are added to us when we seek God first, and they are subtracted from us when we seek any other thing first, because when we seek people, relationships, and other things first, we open the door for the thief to rob us.
Another very important lesson that we learn from our past relationships with the wrong person is that settling for less doesn’t work. As women of God, we deserve a man that will love us according to the level that we are capable of loving him. Settling for less than this sends the wrong message about us and about our capacity. If we are still in the posture of settling even today and haven’t elevated our minds, hearts, and faith, we’re setting ourselves up for more heartache.
God commands us in Ephesians 4:23 to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. What does this mean? To be renewed in the spirit of our minds is to change the way we think. So, if we’re in the mindset of settling, that has to change. Our vision of what we can have and what our loving Heavenly Father wants to give us must be elevated. This means we need to study His Word and confess His promises so that what we say and confess is perfectly in sync with what He says. This is when we will see the power of God manifested in our lives.
Every step we take to renew our minds and elevate our faith will be rewarded. Many of us want to live our lives exactly the way we see fit. We’re stuck in our habit patterns and refuse to accept that we can’t keep doing the same things and expect different results. God will not reward our refusal to spiritually grow and to stretch our vision to what is possible for us. We’re limiting God’s love from flowing from our hearts when we refuse to see ourselves as God sees us. He sees the best in us, and He wants to bless us with the very best. So, don’t think that God is making you wait for marriage. When we commit to deepen our relationship with Him and be humble to release the habits that are keeping us from growing in Christ, things will change. We’ll realize that we needed to be more motivated in the power of God’s love so that our minds and hearts would equal the blessing He had in store for our lives.■
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 HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
“The Very Best for Our Lives”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. 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.