Many single Christian sisters would very much like to be married. Getting married has held the number one spot on their prayer lists for quite a while. Some of them are crying out to God with a sense of urgency because of their age. They’d like to start a family and fear that if another year goes by without meeting their future husbands, they’ll be further away from the dream in their hearts. And we have to keep it real, many of God’s devoted daughters have maintained a vow of abstinence. They don’t want to slip up and do something against the Will of the Father, but wonder if they have the strength to keep holding on. Other sisters have been waiting on the right man for so long, that they’re losing faith he even exists. All of these sisters are wondering how much longer they must wait.
Psalm 84:11(NLT) tells us, “For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” It may feel as though something is keeping the blessing of a husband at bay, but it isn’t Heavenly Father. Sometimes we convince ourselves that we’re doing everything we possibly can to receive the blessing, but the reality is that we may not be on the right path. This can be difficult to hear, but God’s Word is true. It is the only truth we can rely on with a guarantee of one-million-multiplied-by-infinity percent. God’s Word guarantees that He does not fail, that His Word is truth, and that He will never forsake us.
With this kind of iron-clad guarantee from Heavenly Father, we have no other choice but to conclude that there must be something in our application of faith principles that isn’t quite lining up. We must remember that Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word. God’s Word summons faith. It causes it to come on the scene and get some stuff done. Are you speaking the Word enough? Are you thinking the Word enough? Because it is our responsibility, as doers of the Word, to give faith a shonuff’ workout. Faith ought to be so tired of you summoning it to come by the Word of God, that it has no other choice but to perform according to Heavenly Father’s iron-clad promises.
We also have to ask ourselves if we are activating our faith through effective prayers. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:8 (NLT), “For your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” God knows exactly the caliber of man you need to love and support you on your spiritual journey in Christ. There isn’t any detail about your future husband and impending marriage that God doesn’t know. The specificity of which God knows your need is beyond exact, yet He still tells you to ask. He still requires that we pray in faith. This means that there must be something about the asking that is important to the receiving.
Proverbs 19:21(NLT) tells us, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” Heavenly Father has given us precious promises in His Word. He loves it when we have high expectations, but sometimes we take His promises and try to mold them to fit into the plans we’ve constructed. This is where things fall apart. God will perform that which He has promised. Not trusting this is the reason many sisters spend longer than they’d like in wait-mode. Instead of leaning on Him in full surrender, we’ve tried to execute God’s purpose by fitting it into our small boxes, and this will not work. He’s a Great Big Wonderful God. He’s got strategies, resources, avenues, and paths that you and I could never imagine. We’re in no position to dictate to God. He is calling us ever so close to Him, because we must establish intimacy in our relationship with Heavenly Father before anything else.
It’s this intimacy with God that allows us to hear His instructions, and to begin to walk them out through little steps of obedience. Are you willing to surrender your plans to Heavenly Father, or do you want things your way? Are you interested in pulling back all the layers, and holding yourself accountable to the truth? Are you praying that your future husband is prepared for your shortcomings? All of us have them. We’ve got idiosyncrasies and weaknesses, and keeping it 100, some of them have repelled the love we desire for ourselves. We’ve had issues from previous relationships that we haven’t dealt with. We haven’t sought the Lord for healing, nor have we had the patience to allow Jesus Christ to teach us to overcome.
Sisters, spiritual preparation for marriage is a must, and you and I can’t get it done on our own. We must be led by the indwelling Holy Spirit to explore the areas that need God’s healing and power. And we must be obedient and humble enough to let Him take the lead. God sanctioned marriage. He loves families, and unity is His brand. His promises are iron-clad, and our faith in Him must be as well. ■
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 Iron-Clad Guarantee”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. 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.