Finding the Right Mate1 Corinthians 7:27
Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife.
Thoughts for Today:Let me go a little off topic this morning and pose the question: "How does God help us find the right mate?" The understanding to Paul's answer lies in the Greek word "zeteo" (translated in our passage today as the English words "seek" and "look"). It implies a frantic, obsessive searching, that both craves and demands to be satisfied. Although this might be the world's method, God's way of finding a mate is quite a bit different. How so? Let's look at the example of Adam.
In Genesis we find that each thing God created, He pronounced, "It is good." Yet, when it came to Adam, He said (Genesis 2:18), "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Therefore, before Adam even realized he was alone, God recognized his need. So what happened next? Did God tell Adam to go out searching to find for himself the perfect mate? Of course not. Instead, the Lord put Adam to sleep. It's the Lord's answer to anyone who is single and desires a mate: "Rest in Me." When Adam did this, he awoke to find a mate so compatible and perfectly matched that he described her, "...bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh..." (Genesis 2:23).
Now comes the tricky part, if you are single, how do you recognize God's perfect match? Because we are created in God's image (Father, Son, and Spirit), we too have three components to our make-up: body, soul, and spirit (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23). As a single person, when we meet the fulfillment for each of these characteristics of our being, then we know we have met God's match. Physically there will be a romantic spark (body); we will appreciate the uniqueness of each other's personalities (soul); and we will also find ourselves moving with similar intensity and direction regarding our work in the Kingdom (spirit). For those who are single, rather than spending time frantically searching for a mate, spend your time waiting on the Lord (rest in Him). You will find out what a faithful, trustworthy, and amazingly creative God will do to satisfy your deepest desire.
Questions to Ponder:If you are single, what is the Lord saying to you personally in today's devotion? Are you allowing Him to open your eyes to the balance of body, soul (mind), and spirit? Have you been feeling pressure from family or friends to find a mate sooner rather than in the Lord's time? What is God's will? Will you wait on His timing?
Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife.
Thoughts for Today:Let me go a little off topic this morning and pose the question: "How does God help us find the right mate?" The understanding to Paul's answer lies in the Greek word "zeteo" (translated in our passage today as the English words "seek" and "look"). It implies a frantic, obsessive searching, that both craves and demands to be satisfied. Although this might be the world's method, God's way of finding a mate is quite a bit different. How so? Let's look at the example of Adam.
In Genesis we find that each thing God created, He pronounced, "It is good." Yet, when it came to Adam, He said (Genesis 2:18), "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Therefore, before Adam even realized he was alone, God recognized his need. So what happened next? Did God tell Adam to go out searching to find for himself the perfect mate? Of course not. Instead, the Lord put Adam to sleep. It's the Lord's answer to anyone who is single and desires a mate: "Rest in Me." When Adam did this, he awoke to find a mate so compatible and perfectly matched that he described her, "...bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh..." (Genesis 2:23).
Now comes the tricky part, if you are single, how do you recognize God's perfect match? Because we are created in God's image (Father, Son, and Spirit), we too have three components to our make-up: body, soul, and spirit (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23). As a single person, when we meet the fulfillment for each of these characteristics of our being, then we know we have met God's match. Physically there will be a romantic spark (body); we will appreciate the uniqueness of each other's personalities (soul); and we will also find ourselves moving with similar intensity and direction regarding our work in the Kingdom (spirit). For those who are single, rather than spending time frantically searching for a mate, spend your time waiting on the Lord (rest in Him). You will find out what a faithful, trustworthy, and amazingly creative God will do to satisfy your deepest desire.
Questions to Ponder:If you are single, what is the Lord saying to you personally in today's devotion? Are you allowing Him to open your eyes to the balance of body, soul (mind), and spirit? Have you been feeling pressure from family or friends to find a mate sooner rather than in the Lord's time? What is God's will? Will you wait on His timing?
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