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Should You Pursue A Man?

Whether or not a woman should pursue a man is a question that many women have been asking a long time. I’ve had this conversation with a few of my friends, and one of them was very adamant about her approach. She was divorced a few years ago and has loved being single. Admittedly, she’d like to marry again one day, but until it happens, she believes a woman has the responsibility of making things happen for herself. Known for her brazenness, it was no surprise to hear her say that she’s not one to wait on the man to make the first move. She said, “God gave you the ability to know what fits your needs, so if you see something you like, go for it.”

There are really two important troubled spots that we want to avoid in relationships with the significant people in our lives. One of them is heartache, and the other is a collision that lands you outside of God’s Will for your life. Both can send you catastrophically down the wrong path, where you could potentially spend the rest of your life paying for mistakes that could have been avoided.

Romans 8:29-30(NLT) says, “29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.” Look at God’s thoughts about us, and the wonderful plan He laid out for our lives. Long before we were born, He already knew all there is to know about us. We didn’t choose Him first, He chose us first, and He called us to come to Him. God didn’t leave our destinies to chance. He launched them further back in time than we can imagine. This is the framework that He has ordained for how we should approach our life’s journey. Everything about our lives should line up with His plan.

God has been gracious beyond what any of us could ever deserve, and He’s given us many blessings, but He didn’t give us the faith of Jesus Christ to promote our own agendas. He gave it to us to promote His agenda. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. So, if we leave our destinies up to our own ability to know what fits our needs, we could end up in a destination that takes us outside of God’s Word. That’s a dangerous place to be.

Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:8(NLT), “For your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” There are two very important keys in the truth Jesus Christ teaches us in Matthew 6:8, and we can never afford to forget them. Number one, our Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need, and number two, He’s the One to ask when it comes to fulfilling every need that we perceive. We don’t just run off trying to fulfill them ourselves. The Apostle Paul said in 2Corinthians 3:5(NLT), “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.”

God’s Word is not old fashioned. It’s life! Thank Heavenly Father for His Word and the order He has given us so we can live an abundant life. Partnering is too important to leave to chance. Someone who looks right might be the biggest trick of the devil we could imagine; they could wreak total havoc on our lives. Pursuing a man just because he seems right, without having direction from God, might be society’s preferred way, but it can never be the way for a follower of Jesus Christ. We must always remember that when it comes to dating, there’s only one rule book and only one right way, it’s the Word of God. Pursue the Word, and the right man will pursue you.

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.

“Should You Pursue A Man?” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2022. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

January 17, 2022
Live by His Power!

Ephesians 3:20(NLT) says, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” This verse is so extraordinarily wonderful that we can scarcely take it in. All praise to God, for He hasn’t kept this magnificent morsel of truth a secret! We can walk in God’s power, because it’s on the inside of born-again believers! This power unlocks the door to the kind of life that the Father wants to give us. Whether it’s a solution to a problem we’ve been having, a better job, a spouse, financial abundance, better relationships, or most importantly, spiritual growth in Christ; no matter the issue, God desires that we have a more than abundant life, and that we live it through the power of His Holy Spirit.

The beginning of Ephesians 3:20 says ‘all glory to God’. His glory is the foundation upon which all blessings rest. Our Heavenly Father is glorious! Everything He does is glorious, and He is deserving of all the glory there is. He created us as His children, and because of this, our lives should be to His glory as well. A very simple definition of the word ‘glory’ is highest honor. Glory is that which is brilliant, magnificent, and has unsurpassed radiance and beauty. This is a wonderful description of our Heavenly Father. And to think that He has empowered us through Jesus Christ so that our lives will be to His glory, this is just mind-boggling, but it is true. Through His mercy, grace, and Holy Spirit, God has empowered us to bring Him glory, and therefore be glorious ourselves. This is always the goal, and it is the key to living a blessed life.

God’s power is mighty, there is absolutely no question about this, and He tells us in Ephesians 3:20 that His mighty power is at work within us, His children. We must know that God can do exceedingly abundantly above anything that you or I can ask or think, but we must also know that He will not overstep our free-will in order to accomplish this. Heavenly Father works in us through His precious Holy Spirit, but sometimes, we refuse to be active in the work the Spirit is doing.

Jesus Christ said in John 16:13(NLT) that the Spirit that indwells us is the Spirit of Truth, and “he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” The Spirit of Truth cannot guide us in a lie, so wherever a lie is present, it must be confronted and dismantled so that it does not block our way. For many of us, this is the problem; we won’t dismantle the lie and allow the Spirit to lead us in the truth.

God wants to accomplish something powerful in your life. The fullest expression of God’s love and power is contained within obedience. As soon as Adam and Eve stepped outside obedience, they became slaves to darkness and the Holy Spirit could not abide with them any longer. Because of Christ, God has made our bodies the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit abides within us. However, to see God’s power unleashed and activated in us through His Spirit, we must ask Him to remove the veil from our eyes so we can see. We must see the things that satan has done to keep us blinded, and we need to be praying to God to bring us out of any darkness, so we can see His power at work through His glorious light.

We can be empowered dynamically through God’s strength, so we can endure with great joy, and have faith in the victory He brings. This is His Will. Heavenly Father has made up His mind about us, but our minds need to be made up about Him. We need to fully participate in the light because our redemption was secured through Jesus Christ already. Any participation in darkness is an offense to our identity in Christ. If we’re still dabbling in those dark areas, we need to recognize it and make a change.

Paul said in Colossians 1:29 that he was laboring and striving according to the Spirit at work within him, and the Spirit was working in him mightily. We should be able to say the same thing. Paul also gives us danger signals about not seeking the truth, because if we fail to seek the truth, we cannot walk in the blessings of God in the way that God has ordained. One such warning is in Hebrew 2:1(NLT), where Paul says, “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.”

Obedience to God may seem difficult at times for some Christians, but if we know and trust the truth, we will not disobey. Many women have made the mistake of drifting away from God’s truth for the sake of a man’s companionship. This is a blocker that we need to remove; a lie that we need to dismantle. The consequence of putting anything before our relationship with God is so severe and nothing is worth the pain it brings. We will live far beneath our privilege if we go this route.

We serve such a loving Heavenly Father. He grants to us such grace and mercy, and He forgives us for our ignorance and unwillingness to seek Him first in all that we do. But He expects that we will eventually wake up to the reality that our destiny is to walk in His power so that our lives bring Him glory. Jesus Christ said about the Holy Spirit in John 16:14(NLT), “He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.” Hear what Jesus Christ is saying through his Spirit, so that he receives the glory. Be led of the Holy Spirit and do not lean on your own understanding. Continue to seek and pray that God’s Will is done in your life. He knows exactly what will bring Him glory, and if you commit to obedience, you will know it too.■

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.

“Live by His Power!” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2022. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

January 10, 2022
Who Do You Belong To?

A wonderful sister in Christ had her first date with someone that she’s known for a while, but he was never really on her radar. The date went rather well, and she felt really good about things. A few days after their date, she wondered whether it was a good idea for her to reach out and make contact, because she hadn’t heard anything from him since the date. When she asked for my opinion, I in turn asked her one question, “Who do you belong to?” She knew instantly what I meant. She affirmed it with a nod and replied “God!” My question had absolutely nothing to do with arrogance, and it has everything to do with faith. If you’ve been praying for God to bless you with your destiny partner, you must have confidence that when he meets you, he will know who you are.

Dating is one of the areas in life where a person can think they are walking by faith, but fear is the thing that motivates a lot of their actions. It is important for us to understand that faith does not respond to a whim. It’s not wishy washy, or ambiguous. You either have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ or you don’t. It is impossible to operate by both faith and fear. We can’t serve two masters. We have to chose which one we’re going to stand on.

It is very common in a situation like my friend experienced for the woman to feel as though she might have said or done something to offend, or that perhaps the man was left with the impression she wasn’t interested. She might think, “Maybe I should give things a nudge.” The thoughtful creatures that many women are, we immediately go into ‘fix it’ mode. This isn’t going to be helpful towards your confidence or his.

What will be helpful is to take a closer examination of how faith operates. Mark 9 gives us the record of a Father that was desperately seeking help for his son. The boy was possessed by a demon, and the father had gone to some of the disciples to cast the demon out of the boy. They were not able to do it. A crowd had gathered around the disciples because of the spectacle of this father and son. Jesus approached them and asked what was happening. The boy’s father spoke up and explained the situation. He then said to Jesus in Mark 9:22(NKJV), “But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

“IF” is not strong enough to connect and move faith to manifest results, because “IF” does not equal the truth. 2Corinthians 1:20(NLT) says, “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” This is the mindset of a fully persuaded believer; it’s the mindset that our powerful Lord deserves. Jesus Christ didn’t abandon the boy’s father and leave him with his “IF”, he helped him to get his mind right. Jesus said to him in Mark 9:23(NKJV), “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” The father then said, “Lord I believe, but I may need some help. Please help my unbelief.” Jesus then healed the boy and casted out the evil spirit.

The right man for you is never an “IF”. He’s a resounding “Yes!” Do you believe this? Amos 3:3(NIV) is the question that sets the stage for razor sharp wisdom. It says, “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” No person can make or force an individual to give something they are not willing to give. As women, we must come into agreement with God’s order, purpose, and Will. We cannot second guess His staggering genius and intellect. He created men and women to respond to each other in a certain way, and He made sure that a man will recognize his spouse and will not stop until he has made this queen his wife. This is what all real men do.

You are not a defective product that needs repair, and neither is your future spouse. Want what God has for you and nothing less. Time expended on the wrong one is time better spent sharpening your faith for the right one. Have faith in God. He cannot fail and He never disappoints. ■

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.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

“Who Do You Belong To?” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

January 3, 2022
When Impressing God Is Your Number One Goal

Walking away from a relationship can be one of the most emotionally challenging things for a person to go through. Any sister in Christ that has waited a long time to meet someone she believes is compatible knows firsthand how emotional the wait can be. It can give your faith a workout. There are times when you feel upbeat and optimistic, then, there are other times when it feels like you’re just not going to meet the right person. It can be a roller-coaster, one that you can’t wait to get off. So, when you do finally meet someone, and you think things might work out, it can be devastating when it doesn’t. The last thing you want to do is think about drudging through that desert place again.

It is crucial that we remind ourselves constantly that God is faithful. He never slumbers or sleeps, and no detail about our lives escapes Him. We must never forget that God knows the person that is going to be a great blessing to our lives, and this is the person for which we, too, will be the greatest blessing. But God also knows our hearts. He knows our motives and intentions, and He knows whether or not we are spiritually prepared to be the kind of blessing He wants us to be.

Yes, it is devastating when we recognize we have to let someone go, and it can be even more hurtful when they decide to let us go. In either case, you have to see heartbreak as a conduit to a more compassionate, thoughtful, and spiritually mature you. We can never escape the reality of our call to pray and touch the lives of others through intercession. We have to ask God if we have fulfilled this call to His satisfaction.

A Godly sorrow is something that no believer can fake. It is when sorrow goes so deep within you that your soul is moved beyond your understanding. It is the place where we feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and it is also the place where we learn to pull strength, abiding love, and caring support for God’s people. It’s this deep place that extends to us the capacity to pray earnestly for the pain that others are going through. Some of us have not learned to do this. We can do it for ourselves, but we haven’t yet cultivated that space where we are touching God’s heart with prayer for someone other than ourselves, someone we may not even know.

We have to think about things like this, so that we learn the lesson of our heartbreak. And make no mistake, there is very definitely a lesson and we should do all we can to learn it. Why is learning this lesson so monumentally important to your preparation towards meeting and marrying the right person for you? Well, it’s so important because Heavenly Father wants you to know a little something about the depth of the heart. None of us can fully know what is in another person’s heart or what their motives are for doing what they do, but you can have some idea about it. When you have some idea about the heart, and how earnest prayer can transform it, you can be trusted with information that only the Spirit can provide.

We must be clear, if we do not begin to love and pray out of that deep well where our hearts were once broken; if we do not let the love of God minister to that broken place; if we do not then begin to minister out of that deep place ourselves, we won’t recognize a man that is living from that deep place as well. He will walk right on by us, and we will walk by him, and no connection can be made. This is the man we have prayed to partner with, and this is the kind of faithful man the Lord wants to present to us. This man has the capacity to love his wife as Jesus Christ loves the church and gave his life for her. God will not go beneath His standard. He calls upon us to rise up to it, so we can meet Him in the place of His blessing.

God is impressed by what we do to grow spiritually. He’s impressed by how we deal with the heartbreak and the strength and wisdom we glean from it. We cannot overlook the things that mean so much to God. He knows how to bless us. He said in Isaiah 45:3(NLT), “And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.” Our Heavenly Father knows where the treasures are. Treasures are His business, but we cannot get them by trying to impress other people. When we impress God with a heart that is sold-out for Him, when we make this our number one goal, He will release the treasure. ■

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.

“When Impressing God Is Your Number One Goal”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

December 29, 2021
God’s Love Is the Glue for Marriage

There are many single believers in Christ that have been searching a long time for something that will help them in their quest for marriage. It’s a worthwhile endeavor, because Jesus Christ said in Matthew 7:7(NLT), “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Our Heavenly Father has made it very clear to us that we must seek Him first, and we must seek Him diligently. And this diligence requires our persistence, but many Christian singles believe they’ve been very persistent in their prayers about marriage, and they are wondering when it is going to yield results.

When we’ve prayed for something a very long time and there isn’t the movement in our circumstances that we expect, people will sometimes tell us that our faith is the issue. They say we don’t have enough of it. Well, the Lord Jesus Christ tells us that all it takes is a mustard seed’s worth to move a mountain, so we can know definitively that he doesn’t have a problem with doling out all the faith we need. He has it in unlimited supply; therefore, most of us have enough faith to accomplish whatever it is that God desires us to do. So, when it comes to the faith we already have, God’s Word tells us that what’s very important to God is how this faith gets expressed.

To express something is to somehow take that which has unexposed potential and expose it. We live in an environment today where people are expressing a whole lot of emotions and sides of themselves, but some of this is better left unexposed. These expressions may have potential, but not the kind that benefits God’s purpose. As believers, we ought to be chiefly interested in the things in which God’s Kingdom gets the glory, and He tells us in Galatians 5:6 that what’s major in His book is that our faith gets expressed through His love.

Sometimes our definition of love and God’s love are out of sync. Our born-again reality means that we can love others and ourselves through Christ, but it is very possible that God wants to see us walking in His love more fully. Some of our relationships of the past ended in heartache. As uncomfortable as it can be, we need to examine how we could have handled things differently. Relationships don’t make it for lots of reasons. Sometimes it is because the person was not meant to journey with us any further, and sometimes it is because there was some aspect of God’s love that we hadn’t yet figured out how to demonstrate. If this is the case, if there are aspects of God’s love that are necessary for marriage and we haven’t yet put these yummies in our hearts, then this must be corrected through repentance and by renewing our minds.

1Corinthians 13:1-7(NLT) gives us God’s expectation for how love should operate. This passage tells us: 1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

You and I may have love for someone, but if this love isn’t wrapped in God’s standard, and if we have not renewed our minds to it, 1Corinthians 13:3 tells us that we will not gain anything. 1John 4:8 affirms that God is love. It isn’t just what He does, it’s who He is. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, love must be who we are. God demonstrates for us that love is more than an emotion, it’s a commitment. It is action in the highest sense of the word. You and I are not in a position to dictate how love is defined or how it should look; God has already done this. Love is His standard, and because it is the glue that holds relationships together, God holds us responsible for demonstrating that we are committed to love someone with the love of Christ.

If we have the notion in our heads that love is based on feelings, we will be in and out of love all the time. We will leave a marriage based on whether or not we feel loved by the other person. We will hold them responsible for making us happy and not take responsibility for failing to put on the joy of the Lord in our own hearts. So, as single believers, we will have to move past allowing feelings to lead our hearts, instead we must let the Lord do this. Because in this most important aspect of our lives as it pertains to marriage, we must lean on God and not on our own understanding. Now is the time to make this a habit pattern so that we are anchored in the love of God, because His love must be the foundation upon which our future marriage will rest. ■

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 Love Is the Glue for Marriage” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

December 20, 2021
He Showed Up and Showed Out!

Some of us are facing challenges that we’ve never faced before. These are unprecedented times, and we want God to perform the miraculous in a way that we’ve never witnessed. If you’re like me, in the past, you might have heard your mother and grandmother talk about how God showed up and showed out on their behalves. In our younger days, we might not have understood what they meant. Back then, we didn’t quite grasp the impact that God’s grace and power made in their lives, but our current circumstances have made the impact of His grace and power crystal clear to us. Life hasn’t been easy, and with everything the enemy has thrown at us, there’s no way we would have made it this far without God. He’s kept us, walked with us through the storm and brought us out of it. Now is not a time for fear and trembling. It’s a time to show God that we know who He is and what He can do. Now more than ever, we must trust Heavenly Father with our whole hearts.

The Christian walk is filled with many obstacles and challenges, and our Lord and Savior never hid this from us. He told the disciples in John 15:19(NLT), “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” There is nothing more rewarding and exquisite than living for God through the Lord Jesus Christ, but make no mistake, there is a cost. Trials and tribulations come with the choice to serve our Lord and Savior. With those challenges will also come great victory and triumph as we travail over life’s difficulties through faith in God.

There’s something we learn about God as we go through the storms of life, and we would not learn these spiritual lessons otherwise. In Colossians 1:11(NLT), the Apostle Paul communicates his prayer for the faithful in Christ in the city of Colosse. This prayer is necessary for all of us to continue growing in the example of Christ. He said, “We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.” This is such an important prayer because we desperately need endurance and patience. They build trust in our relationship with Heavenly Father, and they are necessary to accomplish the goals He has for us.

Being single year after year, going through the pain of a divorce, or dealing with other of life’s hiccups and missteps all require a certain strength and courage. The point that must be impressed on your heart is that with each trial or tribulation you go through, God is with you. He told His people in Deuteronomy 31:6(NLT), “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” In Joshua 1:9(NLT), He said to His people, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” God’s people living in Old Testament times were servants, but those of us living after the resurrection of Christ are God’s children. So, beyond a shadow of doubt, we are covered under God’s protection and care. He will never leave or forsake us.

God has a very loving way of teaching us the spiritual lessons of love. He doesn’t force us to learn them, but He walks with us at our own pace. The process of preparation when it comes to marriage is no different. There are some lessons we need to learn, and our patience is not long when it comes to this. We want to be married yesterday, but if we move too quickly, and get ahead of the Holy Spirit, we will end up being disappointed and perhaps devastated by the outcome. No matter the problem or issue, God will always show up and show out in our circumstances. He walks with us, and His ultimate goal is always to see us blessed and thriving in Christ. We are living in turbulent times, but God has not changed nor will He. He is faithful to bless us, so let’s have confidence in Him and trust that He will restore, heal, deliver, and promote us if we remain patient and endure. ■

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.

“He Showed Up and Showed Out!” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

December 14, 2021
The Right King for You

God’s Word tells us in 1Corinthians 14:33 that He is a God of order. The definition of this word ‘order’ points us in the direction of other words we know so well, like organization, arrangement, and structure. Because of God’s Word, we can now see clearly that everything He does is systematic and efficient. He arranges things in such a way that He never has to do a do-over, a back-track, or a take-back. This information is so crucial because it helps to provide the framework for how we approach God in prayer, particularly if we’re praying to cross paths with Mr. Right. If you’ve been praying about your desire to be married for quite some time, the framework for understanding the orderly way that God does things may help you considerably.

1Samuel 16 gives us just the perspective we need. It tells us the communication between God and His prophet, Samuel. It took place during the reign of King Saul, who was the first king of the children of Israel. Saul had all the trappings. He was handsome as all get-out, virile and strong, and the people loved him because in their minds, he fit the bill for how a king should look and act. But Saul only looked the part. He wasn’t a good fit. Time and time again, God gave him opportunities to straighten up his act and be obedient, but his arrogance got in the way. Saul’s heart was far from God, and he was determined to do things his own way.

God told his prophet, Samuel, that Saul had to go, and Samuel was very disappointed about this. He loved Saul and was upset that God had chosen someone else to be king. If we’re being honest, many of us have been in Samuel’s shoes. We took it upon ourselves to find ourselves a king, and although he looked the part, he was not ready for the responsibility and privilege of caring for our hearts because he didn’t honor God. He was not the one. And rather than repenting for not consulting and listening to Heavenly Father in our decision making, some of us prayed to God to make this misplaced-king act right, or we asked God to change his heart.

Heavenly Father will never overstep someone’s free-will. This is something we must know so that we do not pray for things that are outside of God’s Will and Word. We can pray until the cows come home, but God will not change someone’s heart towards us. This is made abundantly clear in the record of King Saul. God loved Saul more than anyone, including Samuel, but Heavenly Father would not change Saul’s heart. God would not make him act right, because again, doing something like this would violate His laws, and God will never overstep His Word. Instead, Heavenly Father chose someone to be king that had a heart that was tender towards Him. It was David, a ruddy-faced boy who loved shepherding and being out in nature. Samuel, the prophet, thought God was going to choose one of David’s brothers, because again Samuel was impressed with appearance and height. The Father told him in 1Samuel 16:7(NLT), “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

As single women, we have to ask ourselves if we’re searching for someone that looks the part, or do we want the king that God has chosen for us? Left to our own devices, many of us have chosen someone who looks the part but has a heart that is far from God. This often leads to disaster. Some of us do this because we don’t believe God will present us with someone that is all we need them to be. In reality, the scriptures are full of accounts where God does the exceedingly abundantly and exceeds expectations. He has many men that are talented, courageous, intelligent, attractive, and the favor of God is upon them. There is no shortage of good men, but there is in fact a shortage of women that are willing to be patient and obedient as God teaches them to align with His purpose and order.

Humility and honor before God means that we must get rid of our resistance to change. God desires us to be happy and to have a life that is fulfilling and meaningful, but the more than abundant life can only be lived through Jesus Christ. He is the way to it. So, we must change the way we’ve done things in the past. We must be guided by the Spirit of Christ on the journey to acquiring what we want most in life, because this is God’s order. Psalm 37:23(NLT) says, “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Let the Lord delight in the details of your life by submitting your quest for marriage to Him and trusting that He will present the right king for you.■

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 Right King for You”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

December 6, 2021
Welcome to Your Virtual Internal Tour

If you’ve ever planned a vacation or looked for a house in another state, you’re probably familiar with the term ‘virtual tour’. It’s images or video that provide a 360° panoramic view of a property or location. You can even zoom-in for a closer look at many of the details. Some of these virtual tours are so realistic that it’s almost like being there in person, but not quite. As you zoom in and zoom out, you get a visual that helps you plan for reality. We do this because a virtual tour provides information that is very helpful to our decision-making process. If the tour is an honest presentation of reality, it can be a great tool to help make a worthwhile investment, but there are no guarantees. Just like people, there are always things going on internally that no amount of surface viewing is going to pick up.

Pain is a terrific motivator. It should motivate us to want to avoid as much of it as possible. Not only can it begin a cycle that lasts a very long time, needless pain robs us of the resources of time and energy. We need to focus our resources on the blessing with our name on it rather than depleting our reservoirs on someone that was never meant for us. Heavenly Father wants us to be wise. He tells us in Proverbs 4:7 that wisdom is the principal thing; it’s number one when it comes to all that we need to live a successful existence. God also tells us to develop good judgment and insight, so that we won’t waste any of the life He’s blessed us with.

It can’t be lost on any of us that virtual is here to stay. We need look no further to the popularity of dating websites to see this. Supplying prospective daters with information about a person in a neat digital package, dating websites are notorious for profiles that list all the good and leave out all the bad. Unlike a house or a trip, we must be wise and not make an emotional investment solely based on a virtual tour. Jesus Christ has commanded us to seek God first in all things, especially when it comes to relationships.

God’s Word doesn’t tell us that knowing someone a really long time is a prerequisite for marriage, but it does give us the wisdom to make good dating choices that will honor our relationship with God and benefit our lives. Through the Apostle Paul, God tells us in Hebrews 12:1 that we should lay aside sin and all the heavy stuff that comes with it. This means that we should not be impatient when it comes to making decisions. We should wait on God for the green-light. This verse also affirms that every believer has a race that God, Himself, has placed before them. We are to run this race with endurance. We don’t have time for costly mistakes that set us back. If we trust God, we will avoid those.

We can’t judge a book by its cover, and when we’re obedient to God’s Word, we’ll never be in this position. Wisdom dictates that even before we begin a virtual tour of someone else’s profile, we’ll make sure ours is straight. We’ll make sure we’re a true representation of Christ. Some of us have some baggage that we’ve been carrying around a long time, and it is important to pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ, and ask Him to reveal the thing in our hearts that is holding us back. When you and I are unwilling to see certain things about ourselves that are harmful to our relationship with God, we overlook or don’t recognize it in others either. We attract the very person who reflects the worse in ourselves. We should want to get this internal housekeeping cleaned up before we start looking at someone else’s house.

When it comes to partnering, a lot of us have taken matters into our own hands. We’ve made a choice, and then asked God to bless the choice we have made. This isn’t how faith works. Faith dictates that God walks us through the process from beginning to end. And in this, we learn to lean on Him and not on our own understanding. We learn to hear His directives more clearly, and we develop faith in His love and guidance. You don’t want to rob yourself of this. It’s the most important aspect of life. Virtual tours may be the wave of the future, but nothing will ever replace God’s Word, and His way always works best.■

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.

“Welcome to Your Virtual Internal Tour”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

November 29, 2021
You May Want It but It’s Not Good for You

God designed the human body to naturally have certain desires and cravings. We all know what these feel like. Whether it’s craving food, power, fame, money, a favorite drink or a particular person, sometimes we crave things so strongly that we will do just about anything to acquire them. Our Lord and Savior has given us an approach to handle these cravings, so they don’t get out of control. In Matthew 26:41(NLT), he tells us, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” This is very important information for us to know, because the enemy tested Jesus Christ, and he uses our cravings to test us. If we’re expecting God to bless us with the desires of our hearts, our commitment to stand guard and pray must be proven.

Through the Apostle Paul, God tells us in Galatians 5:16(NLT), “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” This is a very practical verse, and God is telling us exactly what we must do in our lives. The Holy Spirit is the one to take the lead. He is to lead, and we are to follow. This is God’s divine plan, and it will keep us from giving in to temptation, so we won’t do what our sinful nature craves. Here, we have a distinction of two natures, and one of them is the part of us that craves sinful things that go against God’s plan. It is our sinful nature, and Romans 8:7 tells us that this sinful nature is always hostile to God. It is corrupt through and through.

The other nature that Galatians 5:16 tells us about is the spiritual nature. It is the nature of our ‘spirit man’ that was recreated through our new birth experience. This is the transformation that took place when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. 2Corinthians 5:17(NLT) tells us, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Our spirit man was dead to God before we accepted Christ, but after we were saved, our spirit man became alive through Jesus Christ, giving us new life!

God’s people living in Old Testament times did not have the new birth experience. They had to offer sacrifices continually from the blood of animals to cover their sins, because Jesus Christ had not yet come to the earth and given his life as a sacrifice. It is different for those of us living after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We live through him, and because we do, we can stand strong through prayer and faith, and resist temptation that comes by way of plots and tricks from the enemy.

For many of us, if we’re being honest, even though we have the spiritual strength through Jesus Christ to resist temptation, we don’t. We have longings and cravings for certain things, and when we’re in relationships, some of us allow feelings and emotions to take over. Then we find ourselves in situations that are less than Godly. The body wants what it wants, but what it wants isn’t always good for our lives, and it’s not going to help lead us to the place where God wants us to be. So, if your mind isn’t renewed to the Word of God, you might easily let your cravings and emotions call the shots. This isn’t pleasing to God, and we must pray fervently and frequently to grow in Christ and let our Master Jesus call the shots, not our emotions or cravings.

Galatians 5:13(NLT) tells us, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” We are free from a life of sin and strife through Jesus Christ! This freedom should be used to serve others in love, and the eyes of God are on us to see how we do this. Our commitment to honor God through loving and sharing, and being obedient to Him, demonstrates that we are serious about the commitment to honor our marriage vows and to be the spouse He desires us to be. We cannot say that we have faith in God to present us with a compatible mate, yet we don’t demonstrate the faith to turn from sin like He tells us we can. Let’s make sure we are praying to God for the spiritual strength to stand strong when confronted with temptation, so that nothing the enemy does will destroy the wonderful plan God has 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.

“You May Want It but It’s Not Good for You” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

November 22, 2021
Your Blessing is Linked to Your Gift

1Peter 4:10 tells us that God has given each of us a unique spiritual gift to bless the body of Christ. This begs us to ask ourselves if we know what this gift is and if we are using it in the way God has purposed. He instructs us in 1Peter 4:10 to use our gifts to serve one another. As sisters in Christ that are praying to cross paths with our future spouses, God requires that we obey His Word. Our obedience will position us on the path that leads to His rewards, and He doesn’t want us to miss the treasure He wants to give us. As we seek God for guidance and direction in our desires to be married, we can be sure that the answer to our prayer is linked to our desire to use the gift God has given us.

When it comes to certain aspects of life and what we want out of it, the ‘why’ is very important to our understanding. Why do we want to be married? What do we want out of marriage? Who do we want to marry and what are we doing to bring ourselves closer to what we want? These are very important questions that we must answer. We must answer them because there must be something within our minds and hearts that draws us closer to what we want and draws what we want closer to us. We can’t sit back with our hands on our laps and do nothing. James 2:26 tells us that faith without works is dead.

We can’t perform any ol’ work we please and think that God will automatically bless it. If we have ears to hear, He will tell us what we ought to do, and He will tell us how to get it done. He tells us in His Word what He expects from us, and there is always a reason behind His expectations. He doesn’t keep it a secret.

In 1Peter 4:11(NLT), He tells us, “Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” God is the Giver of good and perfect gifts, and when it comes to blessing the body of Christ, everyone has a gift they can employ for the increase of God’s Kingdom. In 1Peter 4:11, Heavenly Father tells us why using our gifts is so crucial to our relationship with Him and to the well-being of our lives. He instructs us to use our gifts in the most diligent way possible, because when our heart is to be of service in a way that honors God, we bring glory to Him through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Bringing glory to God is the greatest thing that any living thing or person can do. It is the key, and we must use it to unlock the treasures we desire. Glory is the highest praise, honor, adoration, and admiration that can be given. Anyone that is glorious by definition deserves glory. God deserves the highest level of glory that can be achieved. He deserves it every moment of every day for all of eternity. When a man came running towards Jesus and called him ‘Good Teacher”, Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except the Father.” Our Father is good, and as His children, we must give Him the glory He is due.

In 2Timothy 4:7, near the end of his life, the Apostle Paul declared, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” We should all be able to speak these words at the point of our transition. Heavenly Father has revealed a key to faith for us, and it has everything to do with the motivation of our hearts. We must desire to please God more than we desire to please any other person. His pleasure and delight must be our chief motivation and desire, and if it is, our actions will back it up. We will understand that He has laid a race before each of us, and not only this, He’s given us every skill, gift, and resource to run this race and finish it with authority and victory. Let’s get busy fulfilling our purpose in the Lord, because the energy and effort behind our obedience to His Will contains the faith to bring our greatest desires into fruition.■

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.

“Your Blessing Is Linked to Your Gift” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

November 16, 2021