Did God Forget Me?
Several years ago, my single friends and I started a time of fasting and prayer. We prayed for the single guys in our church… that God would make them strong leaders. We prayed that God would make them good husbands one day. We prayed that God would prepare us to be good wives. And we prayed specifically that God would provide a husband for each of us. And then we waited. We waited in hope that God would work. We trusted not our fasting and prayer to be a manipulation to get the results we wanted, but rather we waited trusting our loving Father to provide this good gift to us.
As birthdays passed and the number of my age kept increasing, one thing stayed constant… my marital status… SINGLE. It was easy to think that God forgot me…that He hadn’t heard my prayers. It became easy to question. God, this seems to be a good gift… I don’t understand… why would you withhold it from me?
I found comfort in the stories of Hannah and Job and Abraham and Sarah … ordinary folks who trusted their extraordinary God for amazing results. I found comfort in Psalms like “search me and know my heart, and lead me in the way everlasting.” I grew in faith as I was reminded to “… in everything by prayer and thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God…”
God used that several year period of asking yet hearing no response to teach me that my trust has to be in Him, not in a response. The character of God is faithful, whether or not the results would be my choosing. By digging into the Word of God for comfort, I found an answer so much greater than I had anticipated … I found a God who revealed Himself to me. And I learned to follow the example of guys like Abraham:
In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness”.” (Romans 4:18-22)
No distrust made him waver concerning the promises of God. May we have that same trust in our God who is always faithful. Let us look to God and grow in faith as we consider His might.
Prayer: Father help me not to doubt your love. Help me not to doubt your concern and care in my life. Thank you for how you have sovereignly worked in the past few years. I pray that you would continue that work – show yourself even greater by providing our needs and answering our prayers. Be gracious once again in your lovingkindness. Thank you that your steadfast love never ceases. It never ends. We look to you with hopeful anticipation for what you can do.
[copyright, 2010, Emily Schankweiler; A Sacrifice of Praise]
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Surely God never forget us. His answer may be yes, wait, no. bucause His answer has to be according to His will. Hope does not dissapoint, so let us keep on hoping and trusting in God as we wait for His appointed times. God’s timing is the best.
Before i was a Christian, and impatient for a partner, i made and did ALL means to get a partner. The desire was so great that i had to resort to my own ways. But who can win over God’s plans? Many plans are in man’s heart but only God’s plan prevails. I praise God for the grace of His salvation. Since i got saved in November 2007, my life changed in ways people can not believe, sometimes including me to this day
And one of these, is that God has changed my heart. He changed it so that it conformed to His standards in choosing a partner. Though God took aware the desire (to marry) from my heart, and i praise Him for that, i know that where i am now is the best place for me because God willed it so. I pray for your continued faithfulness and trust in our God. I particularly admired the love story between Ruth and Boaz. God’s ways are truly amazing!
I like this. Why? Because I have been there. Not for a husband..I have one of those
But, I have been there in other seasons of my life with other things. I have learned that God’s time is not my time…and that He always knows best. Easy? NO….worth it…ALWAYS.
Yes!! this is our God..too loving and gracious enough to offer and renew our strengh to be hopeful in accordance to His will. All is not lost His plan is the best for us. Trust Him!