Title: If You're Single, God Has Not Forgotten You Meta: Do you say to yourself, "I'm single and God has forgotten me, He has not given me a spouse yet!" If that is you, may it not be so, for God numbers the very hairs on your head, He has not forgotten you. Tags: single,marriage,youth,husband,wife,loneliness,faithful,spouse,companion,Corinthians 1 00:00:05,742 --> 00:00:10,858 As a Christian, especially single, 2 00:00:10,858 --> 00:00:13,858 you can come to points in your life 3 00:00:13,858 --> 00:00:17,892 where you feel God has forgotten you. 4 00:00:17,892 --> 00:00:20,556 You want to be married. 5 00:00:20,556 --> 00:00:23,033 You don't like being single. 6 00:00:23,033 --> 00:00:27,517 You've asked the Lord for a spouse. 7 00:00:27,517 --> 00:00:32,568 And you feel like, you see other people around you getting married. 8 00:00:32,568 --> 00:00:34,606 "Lord, what's happened? 9 00:00:34,606 --> 00:00:37,606 I want a spouse just as much as they do! 10 00:00:37,606 --> 00:00:39,452 You didn't give me the gift of singleness 11 00:00:39,452 --> 00:00:42,732 anymore than you gave it to them." 12 00:00:42,732 --> 00:00:48,136 And you begin to feel sorry for yourself and self pity, 13 00:00:48,136 --> 00:00:52,615 and remember, the devil is a slanderer, 14 00:00:52,615 --> 00:00:57,022 and will he not come in right there and say, "Look at you... 15 00:00:57,022 --> 00:00:59,366 look at these folks over here, 16 00:00:59,366 --> 00:01:03,396 God's given them girlfriend/boyfriend, 17 00:01:03,396 --> 00:01:06,710 they're courting, they're doing this, 18 00:01:06,710 --> 00:01:09,240 God's got it out for you... 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,189 you're probably not even one of His. 20 00:01:11,189 --> 00:01:13,489 He probably doesn't want anything to do with you. 21 00:01:13,489 --> 00:01:15,669 He just mocks you. 22 00:01:15,669 --> 00:01:19,367 He's forgotten you. 23 00:01:19,367 --> 00:01:22,367 What are you serving Him for? 24 00:01:22,367 --> 00:01:25,145 Look at how much everybody else has. 25 00:01:25,145 --> 00:01:29,135 And you don't have anything." 26 00:01:29,135 --> 00:01:31,985 And do you know what you can do right at that point? 27 00:01:31,985 --> 00:01:36,620 With that mindset? Justify sin. 28 00:01:36,620 --> 00:01:39,445 You can justify it. 29 00:01:39,445 --> 00:01:44,981 Listen, does God say He's against you? 30 00:01:44,981 --> 00:01:48,136 Listen to what He says, I'll just fly through these: 31 00:01:48,136 --> 00:01:52,056 Romans 8:31, "What shall we say to these things, if God 32 00:01:52,056 --> 00:01:56,365 is for us, who can be against us?" 33 00:01:56,365 --> 00:01:59,693 Look, just because God hasn't given you a spouse yet, 34 00:01:59,693 --> 00:02:02,693 does not mean that He's against you. 35 00:02:02,693 --> 00:02:04,534 Look, all of us have trials to bear. 36 00:02:04,534 --> 00:02:06,724 That may be yours today. 37 00:02:06,724 --> 00:02:10,517 You can look over at the married guy and think, 38 00:02:10,517 --> 00:02:12,967 "look at him, I don't have what he has." 39 00:02:12,967 --> 00:02:17,427 No, but he also doesn't have what you have. 40 00:02:17,427 --> 00:02:20,437 Until you've walked in somebody else's shoes, 41 00:02:20,437 --> 00:02:24,157 don't always think that God is showing favorites. 42 00:02:24,157 --> 00:02:27,165 God does show favorites, 43 00:02:27,165 --> 00:02:30,945 but to all of His children; they're His favorites. 44 00:02:30,945 --> 00:02:32,366 And He has guaranteed us all 45 00:02:32,366 --> 00:02:36,366 that we have to go through affliction to get to the end. 46 00:02:36,366 --> 00:02:38,845 And just because your affliction isn't like that guy's, 47 00:02:38,845 --> 00:02:40,785 and one of the afflictions you have to bear 48 00:02:40,785 --> 00:02:42,606 happens to be in the realm of singleness, 49 00:02:42,606 --> 00:02:44,806 I guarantee you he's bearing them too. 50 00:02:44,806 --> 00:02:48,980 So before you think that you're getting the major raw end of the deal, 51 00:02:48,980 --> 00:02:51,320 stand in his shoes first, because I guarantee you 52 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:52,648 there's a whole lot of people 53 00:02:52,648 --> 00:03:00,025 that are married that wish they weren't. 54 00:03:00,025 --> 00:03:04,240 Romans 8:32, now think with me here, 55 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,240 "He who did not spare His own Son, 56 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,167 but gave Him up for us all, 57 00:03:08,167 --> 00:03:09,957 how will He not also, with Him, 58 00:03:09,957 --> 00:03:12,061 graciously give us all things?" 59 00:03:12,061 --> 00:03:15,446 Look, if He's given you His Son, 60 00:03:15,446 --> 00:03:18,966 then He's going to give you everything that's for your good. 61 00:03:18,966 --> 00:03:20,054 For your best. 62 00:03:20,054 --> 00:03:23,654 And He knows what's for your best. He really does. 63 00:03:23,654 --> 00:03:24,690 How about this, Romans 8:35, 64 00:03:24,690 --> 00:03:27,690 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" 65 00:03:27,690 --> 00:03:32,985 Listen, singleness doesn't separate you from the love of Christ. 66 00:03:32,985 --> 00:03:34,067 Jesus was single. 67 00:03:34,067 --> 00:03:37,067 God is just keeping you just like Him for a season. 68 00:03:37,067 --> 00:03:41,190 Paul was single. He's keeping you like that for a season. 69 00:03:41,190 --> 00:03:44,837 Come on, you're no more cursed than they were. 70 00:03:44,837 --> 00:03:51,126 Psalm 118:6, "The Lord is on my side, I will not fear." 71 00:03:51,126 --> 00:03:53,280 I'll tell you when your mindset is, 72 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:57,780 I know the Lord knows all about my situation, 73 00:03:57,780 --> 00:03:59,489 and I know He's on my side, 74 00:03:59,489 --> 00:04:02,489 and I know He's for me, He's not against me, 75 00:04:02,489 --> 00:04:04,179 and I know He gave His Son for me, 76 00:04:04,179 --> 00:04:05,765 and if He has, He's going to 77 00:04:05,765 --> 00:04:07,775 graciously give me everything 78 00:04:07,775 --> 00:04:10,305 that's good and profitable for my life, 79 00:04:10,305 --> 00:04:13,847 and it's all going to work out for my good. 80 00:04:13,847 --> 00:04:17,397 I love God. I know He hasn't forgotten me. 81 00:04:17,397 --> 00:04:18,397 There's a promise there 82 00:04:18,397 --> 00:04:20,886 that He will never leave me nor forsake me. 83 00:04:20,886 --> 00:04:26,664 I know that. Psalm 56:9, "This I know, that God is for me." 84 00:04:26,664 --> 00:04:29,644 When you have that mindset, brethren, 85 00:04:29,644 --> 00:04:32,644 it goes a long ways to help deliver you. 86 00:04:32,644 --> 00:04:35,095 Matthew 7:11, "If you then who are evil 87 00:04:35,095 --> 00:04:37,075 know how to give good gifts to your children, 88 00:04:37,075 --> 00:04:38,471 how much more with your Father Who is in Heaven 89 00:04:38,471 --> 00:04:41,471 give good things to those who ask Him?" 90 00:04:41,471 --> 00:04:44,743 And I'll guarantee you this, He gives good things to His children. 91 00:04:44,743 --> 00:04:46,550 And if He looks at you and He says, 92 00:04:46,550 --> 00:04:49,550 "I know in My infinite wisdom that the best thing 93 00:04:49,550 --> 00:04:52,771 for that person right now is singleness..." 94 00:04:52,771 --> 00:04:59,346 Listen, I never wanted to get married in my life until God saved me, 95 00:04:59,346 --> 00:05:01,970 and then I wanted to get married, I wanted to have a family. 96 00:05:01,970 --> 00:05:03,942 He left me single for three years. 97 00:05:03,942 --> 00:05:07,842 That was not an enjoyable three years for me. 98 00:05:07,842 --> 00:05:11,459 That was tough. But I knew full well this, 99 00:05:11,459 --> 00:05:13,329 that during those three years, He knew 100 00:05:13,329 --> 00:05:17,325 it was best for me to be in that place. 101 00:05:17,325 --> 00:05:19,715 And I was able to take that time 102 00:05:19,715 --> 00:05:22,235 and invest it in studying the Word of God in a way 103 00:05:22,235 --> 00:05:23,706 that I would have never been able to 104 00:05:23,706 --> 00:05:26,209 had He given me a wife immediately. 105 00:05:26,209 --> 00:05:28,528 I was able for the better part of three years 106 00:05:28,528 --> 00:05:32,158 to saturate myself with the Word of God and with prayer. 107 00:05:32,158 --> 00:05:33,824 Come home from work every day 108 00:05:33,824 --> 00:05:36,824 and just listen to sermons and get in the Word 109 00:05:36,824 --> 00:05:38,156 and go out and pray. 110 00:05:38,156 --> 00:05:41,656 Day after day after day, and get involved in various ministries 111 00:05:41,656 --> 00:05:43,898 and just absorb my life in that. 112 00:05:43,898 --> 00:05:45,878 Which I would never been able to do. 113 00:05:45,878 --> 00:05:49,280 Craig and Rod, the two that I was hanging with 114 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:51,520 tightly at that time, they were married, 115 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:54,477 they had kids, they couldn't do the things that I did. 116 00:05:54,477 --> 00:05:58,650 They couldn't study the Scriptures like I could. 117 00:05:58,650 --> 00:05:59,936 So the thing is, remember, 118 00:05:59,936 --> 00:06:02,536 when you're in a place of singleness, 119 00:06:02,536 --> 00:06:05,440 God is actually giving you opportunity to do things 120 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,440 that married guy over there can't do. 121 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,452 He's giving you opportunity very possibly 122 00:06:10,452 --> 00:06:15,542 to be more fruitful than that other person may be able to be. 123 00:06:15,542 --> 00:06:18,447 Don't despise that. 124 00:06:18,447 --> 00:06:22,647 Don't let self-pity ruin it. 125 00:06:22,647 --> 00:06:27,182 Give yourself to striving to excel at that point. 126 00:06:27,182 --> 00:06:28,182 How about this, Psalm 84:11, 127 00:06:28,182 --> 00:06:30,544 "For the Lord God is a sun and a shield, 128 00:06:30,544 --> 00:06:32,913 the Lord bestows favor and honor. 129 00:06:32,913 --> 00:06:36,583 No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." 130 00:06:36,583 --> 00:06:40,228 No good thing. You walk uprightly. He doesn't withhold it. 131 00:06:40,228 --> 00:06:43,221 And if He looks at you and says a good thing is a wife, you're getting it. 132 00:06:43,221 --> 00:06:47,132 If He says a good thing is singleness, you're getting it. 133 00:06:47,132 --> 00:06:49,222 And He's wise. 134 00:06:49,222 --> 00:06:52,478 And this, "Delight yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4) 135 00:06:52,478 --> 00:06:55,708 and He will give you the desires of your heart." 136 00:06:55,708 --> 00:06:58,051 Listen, there's a place to take that - 137 00:06:58,051 --> 00:07:00,141 if you know, I do delight in the Lord, 138 00:07:00,141 --> 00:07:03,270 I love the Lord. I'm striving to serve the Lord. 139 00:07:03,270 --> 00:07:06,557 Go to Him and ask Him. 140 00:07:06,557 --> 00:07:09,167 "Lord, would you give me the desire of my heart? 141 00:07:09,167 --> 00:07:12,703 I really would like to be married." 142 00:07:12,703 --> 00:07:16,040 How about Matthew 6:17 and 18, it talks there about fasting, 143 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:17,542 "When you fast, anoint your head, 144 00:07:17,542 --> 00:07:20,292 wash your face, that your fasting might not be 145 00:07:20,292 --> 00:07:22,910 seen by others, but that your Father 146 00:07:22,910 --> 00:07:27,690 who sees in secret will reward you." 147 00:07:27,690 --> 00:07:30,175 Fast. Seek the Lord diligently. 148 00:07:30,175 --> 00:07:32,295 Don't just ask Him flippantly. 149 00:07:32,295 --> 00:07:35,153 If you want something from Him, show Him that you mean it. 150 00:07:35,153 --> 00:07:37,768 Fast for it. He says that He gives openly 151 00:07:37,768 --> 00:07:42,688 those things that you ask, seek Him for in secret. 152 00:07:42,688 --> 00:07:45,072 Remember this, Genesis 2:18, "The Lord God said, 153 00:07:45,072 --> 00:07:47,212 'it is not good that man should be alone, 154 00:07:47,212 --> 00:07:49,063 I will make him a helper fit for him." 155 00:07:49,063 --> 00:07:50,568 Listen, take that text to Him. 156 00:07:50,568 --> 00:07:55,678 "Lord, You say it's not good for a man to be alone, and I'm alone." 157 00:07:55,678 --> 00:07:58,923 I mean, plead with Him. Pray to Him. 158 00:07:58,923 --> 00:08:01,974 Proverbs 19:14 says a prudent wife is from the Lord. 159 00:08:01,974 --> 00:08:03,865 I'll guarantee you this, you get a wife, 160 00:08:03,865 --> 00:08:06,575 you get a husband, it's from God. 161 00:08:06,575 --> 00:08:09,781 He's got everything to do with it. 162 00:08:09,781 --> 00:08:13,967 Look, is that important? That's hugely important! 163 00:08:13,967 --> 00:08:17,509 If you're just basically a lost person out in the world, 164 00:08:17,509 --> 00:08:20,473 and you go and all you do is camp in front of the t.v. all the time, 165 00:08:20,473 --> 00:08:22,913 all you see is these movie stars and all these beautiful people, 166 00:08:22,913 --> 00:08:24,785 and you go and look in the mirror and you're like, 167 00:08:24,785 --> 00:08:27,552 "I'm not as handsome, I'm not as beautiful, I'm not as this 168 00:08:27,552 --> 00:08:31,075 I'm not as that, I'm not as suave and debonair as these guys. 169 00:08:31,075 --> 00:08:34,280 I don't have any chance to get this." 170 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,943 Listen, what are you saying? 171 00:08:37,943 --> 00:08:40,943 God is sovereign. 172 00:08:40,943 --> 00:08:44,367 Is it like any Christian is in some kind of position 173 00:08:44,367 --> 00:08:48,227 where God isn't quite able to give that person a mate? 174 00:08:48,227 --> 00:08:51,048 I mean are you basically coming to a conclusion, 175 00:08:51,048 --> 00:08:55,173 "Well, you know I... I just don't have what other people have." 176 00:08:55,173 --> 00:09:01,243 Listen, my Bible says a prudent wife is from the Lord. 177 00:09:01,243 --> 00:09:05,973 By the way, a prudent husband would be from the same place. 178 00:09:05,973 --> 00:09:10,612 If your desire is to have this, you're delighting in the Lord, 179 00:09:10,612 --> 00:09:13,612 it's not good for a man to be alone. 180 00:09:13,612 --> 00:09:15,161 Which must mean it must not be very good 181 00:09:15,161 --> 00:09:18,161 for women to be alone either. 182 00:09:18,161 --> 00:09:19,965 Ask. 183 00:09:19,965 --> 00:09:24,557 Expect. 184 00:09:24,557 --> 00:09:32,566 If you believe God is against you, it can give place, 185 00:09:32,566 --> 00:09:37,528 And I've heard this before, I've heard Christians reason, 186 00:09:37,528 --> 00:09:42,638 "Well, I'm not married, and I have these desires, 187 00:09:42,638 --> 00:09:46,488 and I just need to knock the edge off... 188 00:09:46,488 --> 00:09:51,268 I need to do this... God understands." No. 189 00:09:51,268 --> 00:09:55,223 Listen, you fall into sexual sin, 190 00:09:55,223 --> 00:09:58,223 and you reasoning in it because 191 00:09:58,223 --> 00:09:59,451 you want to be married, 192 00:09:59,451 --> 00:10:02,191 but God just hasn't brought you a wife. 193 00:10:02,191 --> 00:10:03,599 You see what that's doing? 194 00:10:03,599 --> 00:10:06,759 You're basically blaming God for your sin. 195 00:10:06,759 --> 00:10:11,226 He's just not for me like with other people. 196 00:10:11,226 --> 00:10:12,941 You don't want to get into that mindset.