Congratulations to us! I’ve been writing, and you’ve been reading, Life For One blogs for officially one year 🎊 🥳 🎉 A HUGE THANK YOU to those who have followed along, especially those of you who’ve been here since blog #1!! You have been faithful followers of mine and today’s post is all about faithfulness… not yours, but God’s faithfulness in singleness. 🙂

For those of you who don’t know, I quit my job last year when I felt God leading me in a new direction. I took a year off work to write these blogs and a book on singleness. From a worldly perspective it was a wild decision to remain unemployed while prices of everything skyrocketed! However it was the only decision I had peace about. 

I experienced God’s faithful provision throughout the year. He provided finances and also the energy and insight needed to be open and write about my singleness journey. I’ve also experienced God’s faithfulness in singleness every year. He witnessed all my frustration, tears, disappointments and lessons learned. God walked with me through it all, providing the support and encouragement necessary to live abundantly.     

Everyone Has a Story of Singleness 

Your story of singleness may be similar to mine; years of waiting and never being close to marriage. Or maybe you are single again after a spouse passed away. Maybe you went through a divorce or you just got out of an abusive relationship. Which means your story of singleness may be laced with grief and trauma. No matter your story, we all experience emotions in singleness. When those emotions are overwhelming it can be difficult to see God’s faithfulness in singleness. 

Emotions can be a bit of a whirlwind. Sometimes they require counselling to work through, especially if you’ve experienced grief and trauma. Some emotions you need to let go of, and some you can experience healthily for the rest of your life. What comforts me through the emotional hurricane of singleness is remembering God’s faithfulness. 

Defining Faithfulness

Faithfulness means someone consistently shows up for you; they’re loyal to you. God’s faithfulness means He’s unchanging, true to His character, and will keep His promises. All of that is because He doesn’t lie. It’s Satan who is the father of lies.¹ Faithfulness is one of the key characteristics of God. Since He is faithful to who He is, then we can trust that He displays His other characteristics consistently, such as love, goodness, and justice. 

I know God is with me. I know God is faithful. Those are truths I hold onto tightly, especially as a single. God’s faithfulness also reminds me of Song of Ascent. One line says, “No less God within the shadows, no less faithful when the night leads me astray.”² Even when the world is dark and lonely, God is no less faithful.

God’s Faithfulness in Scripture

Thankfully, if you ever need a reminder, God’s faithfulness is displayed throughout scripture. The Bible mentions faithfulness as a characteristic of God.³ Faithfulness is listed as a fruit of the Spirit.⁴ John says God is faithful to forgive our sins.⁵ Paul says God is faithful during temptation.⁶ There’s even verses about God being faithful when we are not.⁷ The Bible ends with Jesus being called Faithful and True in Revelation.⁸ Like I said, there’s a lot of verses about faithfulness. If you want to read more about faithfulness in the Bible, check out this article by the Gospel Coalition. Ironically the passage I want to look at today never uses the word faithful directly. 

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pasture.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, 
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me 
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; 
my cup overflows. 
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 
all the days of my life, 
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 

The Life of David

This psalm was written by David but it’s not known exactly when. Some say he wrote it while he was still an active shepherd or when King Saul was hunting him or as a reflection later in life (how have people not made a movie of his life yet?). No matter the year, it was written at a time when Jesus hadn’t come to earth. Our churches today focus largely on Jesus (which is good) but I commend David for his view of, and trust in, God without ever knowing Jesus. Who reflected God’s character perfectly. 

David went through so many valleys, trials and waiting seasons, just like we go through in singleness. More often than not singleness is perceived as a low point in life. But even in the lows God is with us, comforting and redirecting with his metaphorical rod and staff. David knew God was faithful through every trial. That includes singleness. 

David writes about how God led him, made him lie down, restored him, prepared a table for him, anointed him, and had a home for Him forever. He held onto these beliefs during life’s challenges. David was faithful in remembering God’s character and God was faithful through David’s valleys. 

Goodness and Mercy

I love the last sentence of Psalm 23, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”. God never leaves you to suffer alone. When things seem hopeless and dark, His light still shines. Psalm 23, the gospel, and the Bible as a whole are reminders of that. When your trauma is triggered, the grief unbearable, or the emotions uncontrollable, goodness and mercy are still following you because God is with you in that valley. You can’t escape God. God is faithful in singleness, marriage, divorce… whatever comes.

Remember God’s Faithfulness in Singleness

So when it doesn’t feel like God is with you, or you’re exhausted from doing everything alone, remember God’s faithfulness. Cling to the fact that God WILL restore your soul and that goodness and mercy are following you.

REMEMBER, is your action step for the week. Set aside time to reflect on your life and remember the things you’ve been through. How was God present in those circumstances? What did He protect you from? What have you learned through the difficulties? If you aren’t sure, ask Him to reveal the answer to you. 

Then thank God for His faithfulness in singleness. Gratitude is an act of remembrance that I like to practice. Try it this week. 

The Power of Remembrance

Remembering God’s faithfulness in singleness, reminds us of His unchanging character. It’s a chance to humbly submit to God and be led by Him. It means feeling empowered and equipped in singleness. Remembrance helps restore our souls and bring us rest. It prevents anger, loneliness and apathy. Plus remembering who God is, helps us remember our identity in Him. 

Lastly, remembering God’s faithfulness leads to gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful force of positivity in singleness. I’m extremely grateful for this past year of writing! Thank YOU again for reading the blog, commenting, and encouraging me. You are each a blessing!! And I’m grateful to Jesus for faithfully leading me through this past year: restoring my weary and disappointed soul, being with me in the valleys, and following me with His goodness. 🙏  

Live your life, 

Mindy

References:

1. John 8:44. The Bible. New International Version, Zondervan, 2011.
2. Hastings, Benjamin W. “Song of Ascent.” People, Hillsong, 2019. Youtube, https://youtu.be/mkbxP0rxt6E?si=XFcurDEYNJMpTPaW
3. Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalms 40:10, 36:5. The Bible. New International Version, Zondervan, 2011.
4. Galatians 5:22-23. The Bible. New International Version, Zondervan, 2011.
5. 1 John 1:9. The Bible. New International Version, Zondervan, 2011.
6. 1 Corinthians 10:13. The Bible. New International Version, Zondervan, 2011.
7. 2 Timothy 2:13 & Romans 3:3. The Bible. New International Version, Zondervan, 2011.
8. Revelation 19:11. The Bible. New International Version, Zondervan, 2011.