James 1:17-18 (NLT)
“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”
“I want to experience the joy of being married to a good man, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for me.” There are many women of God that have made statements like these. It’s no secret that they’ve been praying and hoping to move from unmarried to married for a long while, and they’re now doubtful. Why has finding the right person become such a challenging endeavor. It didn’t used to be. With the advances of technology, we have many more options and ways of meeting people, but still the connection we’re looking to make still eludes many of us. We’ve tried many different ways, and we’ve put ourselves out there only to discover more disappointment. Even though we may be burned out by all the ups and downs of single life, the one thing we cannot do is give up.
King Solomon experienced a season of dismay, but his hope in God did not disappoint. He said in Lamentations 3:18-23(NLT), “18 I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!” 19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. 20 I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. 21 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: 22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” We can relate to this, right?!! The vitality that comes from being confident in our hopes and dreams can be trampled on by life, and we, too, might cry out that our splendor is gone, because we think everything that we hoped for from the Lord is lost.
Some of us have gotten to the point where being single has a bitter taste in our mouths. It’s become awful to us, because the loneliness feels to be unbearable at times. The truth that we must hold on to and never forget is that God’s faithful love never ends, and His mercies never cease! God is always doing something new, and He wants us to open our eyes to this realization.
Our faith will be tested, but James 1:12(NLT) tells us, “12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” We need to focus our minds on the reality that we can be blessed as we stand strong and refuse to allow the challenges of singleness to trample our hopes. It is true that God allows us to face the troublesome emotions and stresses, but they will bring about a special blessing from Him if we remain faithful to Him and His Word.
We have become God’s prized possession through Jesus Christ. He loves us, and He desires to see us blessed. Romans 8:32-33(NLT) says, “32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.” God chose us to be His very own. Romans 8:35 tells us that nothing can separate us from His love. He is the Giver of good and perfect gifts, and we must trust that He will give us the treasure we desire most. ■
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.
“God’s Good and Perfect Gift”, written by Kim Times, edited by Fran Mack and K. Stephens for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!