In Matthew 11:28-30(NLT), Jesus Christ said, “28 Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” ‘Weary and heavy burdened’ is the way many single women would describe how they’ve been feeling lately. This passage in Matthew 11:28-30 demonstrates that our Lord and Savior knows our pain, and He offers us comfort. Not having a significant person in their lives during the pandemic has impacted single believers in ways they couldn’t have anticipated, and some single women are more emotionally exhausted than they’ve ever been. They desperately desire rest and would like to feel it in the security and companionship of a compatible partner.
Our precious Lord and Savior knows what it is to be truly alone. He was abandoned by even his closest friends, but we don’t see anywhere in God’s Word where Jesus Christ allowed feelings of loneliness to keep him from pursuing God’s purpose. In truth, he said in John 8:29(NLT), “And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” There were many situations where Jesus Christ could have given into feelings of sadness, loneliness, and disappointment, but he never did. He took authority over his emotions because he knew his identity; he knew who he was, and he knew his mission. He told the disciples in John 16:32(NIV), “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” We must keep in mind that when the Savior said this, he knew the suffering of the cross was near, yet his confidence was firmly anchored in God. When it comes to our own spiritual preparation for God’s blessings, we must demonstrate Christ authority as well.
Jesus Christ is our rest and our encouragement. He makes it extremely clear that developing the same level of confidence, strength, and love in our relationship with Heavenly Father as he did is a must. There is no question that many of us have grown weary of facing life’s challenges without a partner by our sides. We’ve had our share of ups and downs, and the emotional battles that come with loneliness, but God’s grace never runs out. Just as God was with Christ, He is with you, and rest assured that He is preparing you for the blessing you seek. But the truth remains that we cannot neglect or cast aside the lessons about God’s love that every unmarried person is required to learn.
These have been without a doubt very challenging times, and the reality that you may have had to go through them without a partner should reveal to you something very important. It means that you were provided the opportunity to cling to God as never before and to increase the intimacy in your relationship with Him. We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know that it will require a greater walk of faith. It will require us to have a level of courage, trust, and strength in the Lord that sustains us come what may. Often, this fortress of spiritual depth is what God is building in our inner man so that we have what it takes to maintain the blessings He has in store.
God is perfect and His plan for our lives is perfect too. The question we have to ask ourselves is if we really appreciate what God is doing for us. He has showered us in His blessings, and we really do have to examine whether we have taken the time to appreciate how His blessings have literally shaped and molded our lives. He has brought us this far. He alone has preserved us. Because of this, our trust in His plan should be unwavering. We should have a posture of rest as He prepares us and as He prepares our future spouses as well.
1John 4:12(NLT) tells us, “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” Remain focused on the reality continually that God’s love must come to full bloom in your heart. It’s not about your brand of love. Only HIS love is real and true. Without the knowledge and commitment to love through Jesus Christ, we have no foundation. We have no foundation without God’s Will. We have no foundation without God’s Word. As a single person preparing to receive one of God’s treasures, you must be anchored in God’s foundation. This isn’t negotiable. It is a must. God is love, and we must abide in Him and rest in Him through Jesus Christ. Then, when it’s our season to bloom, we will manifest His love. ■
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.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
“Jesus Christ Can Provide the Rest You Need”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2021. 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.