No Vacancies!

“A heart that is truly guarded must have no vacancies -- no empty spaces that need to be filled, no voids that leave open places and room for the enemy to get in. When God asks for our heart, He asks for all of it. He wants to fill every part with Himself. He completes us. Only when we are satisfied in Him will we be able to selflessly give our lives for others. We need to put up a sign that says ‘No Vacancies’. Except we don’t need a sign - others will notice simply by our lives. They can see if our heart has voids and is unfulfilled, seeking attention from others, or if we are filled with Jesus, overflowing with love and joy, and seeking to spread His light everywhere we go.” ~ Sarah Mally

Contentment & Our Promised Land

I came across the following paragraph in the book Emotional Purity. It was a great encouragement to me as I read it.

“You’ve heard “hind-sight is twenty-twenty”. I think the children of Israel must have coined that phrase. Did they understand what God was going to do when they stood at the Red Sea with their enemies behind them? No. Did they understand or know where their food, water, and provision for their basic needs would come from? No. Did they understand what God did when He said the land He gave to them was filled with giants? No. They continued in their discontentment and the cost became deadly. The Israelites rebelled against God over and over in the desert, and often we do the same thing. The correlation between the children of Israel and us is clear: they were in bondage to the Egyptians, we are in bondage to believing that marriage is going to save us from this state of discontented singleness. God performed a grand exodus to save the Israelites from slavery; God sent His Son to save us from slavery. He led the Israelites through the desert of testing to worship and serve Him there; He wants us to come through the desert of testing to see if we trust Him. Then He allowed the Israelites to enter the Promised Land; and, if you allow God to take you through the arid desert of trials, you will come through trusting and obeying Him. The promised land is not marriage, but rather a place of knowing that you are in the Father’s hands and that you will not be single a day longer than He plans for you.” ~ Emotional Purity: An Affair of the Heart, By Heather Arnel Paulsen, p.92

I love the comparison Heather makes between us as singles, and the children of Israel. It is so important that we gain contentment before marriage. As I have heard repeatedly, “If you’re not content before marriage, you won’t be content after you’re married”. I think the Israelites are a good example of this. Even when they got the freedom they wanted, they still weren’t content. I also love the last sentence in this paragraph. Ladies, marriage is not our promised land. It is so good to be reminded where our focus is supposed to be and what our promised land is and in Whom it can be found.

Recommended Reading Review ~ His Chosen Bride

His Chosen Bride ~ By Jennifer J. Lamp

There have been stacks books written for single young women, many of them focusing on being content until “Mr. Right” comes along. While being content is very important, His Chosen Bride, by Jennifer J. Lamp, has a bit of a different focus. I love the picture this book’s subtitle gives “Living as daughter of the King and Bride of Christ”. Writing as a friend, Miss Lamp reminds young women that God is our Father and Christ is our Husband, and gives vision for how the years during and after high school can be lived for the glory of God. Miss Lamp uses the Proverbs 31 woman as a springboard for the topics discussed in each chapter, though mostly talks “girl to girl” about life and growing in godliness as a young woman. Each chapter concludes with some questions, Scripture references, and recommended resources. I found both conviction and great encouragement in the pages of this book, and highly recommend it. His Chosen Bride would be an ideal read for young women between the ages of 16 and 18, though I thoroughly enjoyed reading it as a 20+ year old and found many applications for my life. It would be a wonderful book for mothers and daughters to read together, or for a group study.

BTW - You may find that most copies of His Chosen Bride have “Volume One” printed on the front cover, and state that “Volume Two” is coming. Unfortunately for us, volume two was never printed. A couple of years ago I learned that Miss Lamp met her “Mr. Right”, and is now married. While I do wish volume two had been printed, I rejoice with her in how God has led her into a new season of life.

Friendships with Young Men

“Friendships [with young men] should not be intimate, but good-naturedly distant. Would you be able to maintain the friendship on an equal footing if you were married? If not, it is probably an inappropriate friendship. Women should have the kind of friendships with young men that are characterized by purity and propriety. If you have to alter your behavior after you are married, you have probably been behaving in an unwise or ungodly manner.” ~ Nancy Wilson

I have several friends who are young men (they all happen to be my brother’s friends too). I often think of them as brothers and enjoy my friendship with them. I am careful about how I talk to them, how often I talk to them, and how I treat them. However, it is easy to start to let my guard down and not be as cautious as I should be. When I read the above statement, I began thinking of the friendships I have with various young men. With each one, I asked myself if my behavior toward them would change if I were a married woman. While I would like to believe it wouldn’t, it is a sobering thought. I was also reminded of another statement I have heard, “Every young man you meet is more than likely someone else’s husband”. Keeping pure friendships with young men is not easy, but I wholeheartedly believe it is worth it. By applying these two statements to my friendships with young men, I will not only have no regrets about these friendships, but I will be able to continue them for years to come.