Hi Ladies!

Sometimes our life’s path may seem weedy, overgrown, or hard to find. But God knows the way, and if we stay prayerful and listen to His Voice, we will never get lost! For relationships, as with everything else, His Way is the only way that will take us to where we need to be. And when we try to step off Our Father’s path and forge out on our own, we will inevitably run into trouble.

If you’re truly uninterested in a godly marriage, then this isn’t a concern for you. But if, somewhere in the recesses of your mind, you hope that if you ignore the desire, God will simply spring a husband on you as a surprise one day, well, Surprise – you actually do want to be married!

As soon as you acknowledge this desire in your heart, a conflict will arise between Faith and Doubt. Doubt is an emotion based upon a foundation of fear, an emotion that God directs us to combat by having faith in Him. Jesus in Matthew 8: 26 asks the question, “Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?” Christ Himself equates fear with lack of faith. We fear when we doubt God, and are worried about His intentions.

Instead, knowing The LORD, His Word, and His love for us, should provide ample faith in His motivations. And the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit will supply strength to overcome our nagging doubts. As Jesus asked Peter, in Matthew 14: 31: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?“…faith lets us to step out of the boat, but doubt will hamper our ability to move toward The LORD, and to receive His best for us.

Do you doubt that you will ever receive the relationship that you desire? Do you worry about temporal, physical “realities” such as your age or appearance, and doubt that God can deliver on His promise to you of a husband? Do you wonder if you’ve even received such a promise at all?

These are destructive questions which can compromise our belief, making it difficult to “walk in the steps of the faith” (Romans 4: 12). To truly step away from fears, woes and anxieties, we must turn them over to our LORD. We don’t have to confront the “what ifs” of doubt in our own strength – God will defeat them for us.

  • Isaiah 54: 14 – “In righteousness you shall be established: you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear: and from terror, for it shall not come near you.”
  • Isaiah 35: 4 – “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God: He will come and save you.”

Our Father has conquered the enemies, fear and doubt, by giving us the gift of faith. We can walk forward on our godly path with anticipation and Joy:

  • Psalm 16: 11 – “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
  • Psalm 30: 5 – “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
  • Romans 15: 13 – “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
  • Nehemiah 8: 10 – “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Note that God’s promised joy is unrelated to circumstances. Joy, and the other promises we focus on and have faith for, will manifest themselves into our lives by our faith.

On a relationship level, Joy is one of the most attractive qualities a woman can possess in the eyes of a godly man. A joyful spirit and a smiling countenance are beckoning, because they indicate that this woman is pleased to be in his company, and that he can make her happy. Believing that he is even a small cause for her joy can be a uniquely pleasurable feeling for a man, and makes a lady special in his sight. So smile and be happy around the people you meet, and the joyful radiance that you project will draw others to you like the attractions of a warming fire on a wintery day.

  • John 16: 22 – “Your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”

Until next week, Joy and Shalom!