Wait on GOD or Pursue?

[Ivar]

Waiting on God would also encompass pursuing a believer. Just as waiting on God for water would also encompass drinking from a fresh water source. Abraham and Isaac both waited for God and also pursued wives for their sons.

 

[Rockerduck]

I'll start " with God anything is possible". I was divorced from a non christian wife after 20 yrs, I became a christian during the marriage. I will say that the circumstances that brought about the divorce was of God, not by my hand. Now, I put it in the Lord's hand for a mate. I met some friends at a restaurant and saw my soon to be wife (never saw her before). The Holy Spirit in me let me know she was God's choice for me and we were to be married.. I hadn't talked to her yet and it was a month later till we talked.. Yes, she was a thrice divorced christian and 6 months later we are married. The Blessings of our marriage is amazing.

 

[Chad]

I'll start " with God anything is possible". I was divorced from a non christian wife after 20 yrs, I became a christian during the marriage. I will say that the circumstances that brought about the divorce was of God, not by my hand. Now, I put it in the Lord's hand for a mate. I met some friends at a restaurant and saw my soon to be wife (never saw her before). The Holy Spirit in me let me know she was God's choice for me and we were to be married.. I hadn't talked to her yet and it was a month later till we talked.. Yes, she was a thrice divorced christian and 6 months later we are married. The Blessings of our marriage is amazing.

That's interesting. May I ask regarding this:

The Holy Spirit in me let me know she was God's choice for me and we were to be married

How exactly did you know it was from the Holy Spirit at that time?

 

[Rockerduck]

That's interesting. May I ask regarding this:



How exactly did you know it was from the Holy Spirit at that time?

I am a Christian saved by Grace, that is, I'm born again, therefore, the Holy Spirit lives in me. Its an indescribable feeling, yet all knowing what will happen, not how it will happen, knowing its completely God's plan.

 

[regibassman57]

@Chad,

Question:
What do you think is the right choice as for finding a spouse?

1. Wait on GOD
2. Pursue an equally yoked believer?

Option 1
Asking GOD for a spouse and faithfully waiting and trusting Him

Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Option 2
Pursue someone who's a genuine believer and of course, still trusting Him

Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:8-9
Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Most do not know what it means to love another person righteously in Godly love, so they "MUST" learn to be "CONTENT" and alone first. They must learn this above how they "FEEL" emotionally about desiring to marry someone. If they cannot control themselves, it's wisdom to wait and be certain God is leading them. Option #1 is God's perfect will. Option #2 is an option for the believer in the flesh naively looking for problems.

1 Corinthians 7:8
I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

1 Corinthians 7:28
But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

This can cause a believer to desire more of the world when trying to please their mate in the fleshly livings of life. It can also cause them to go backwards away from Christ because of the troubles the wrong mate can bring.

1 Corinthians 7:32
But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
1 Corinthians 7:33
But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
1 Corinthians 7:34
There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

 

[Chad4Him]

Interesting topic. Looks like it this thread is about 4 years old but worthy of reviving!

I don't claim to be an expert on this topic at all :wink: and I voted "Wait on God" but I think it is a combination. I think a Christian who is single needs to mix with and fellowship with other believers in order to find a spouse and maybe, their Christian friends will know another single Christian friend... and so on.:smile:

Just thinking out loud. I know some who think that God will work it out and find them a partner, and send one to them if they just stay at home.. but that doesn't always work out!

Does God have the perfect one for everyone and will He make your paths cross? Maybe so but the Bible also says "Marry whomsoever you will, in the Lord."

Side note - my wife and I met at a mission. The moment she saw me she had a thought flash in her mind "That is the one you are going to marry." She brushed it aside and sort of forgot about it. I didn't start "noticing" her till a month or two later. Very close quarters in the mission and we tried to keep it platonic until the mission term was over. :grin:

 

[Dovegiven]

I was 22 and a confirmed bachelor, looking forward to life as a US Navy sailor. At boot camp I let it be known I would see the world and not marry until I was at least 40. A Christian who read his little Bible nightly there told me I ought to be real and just wait for God to arrange such things. Well, I was running as far from God as I might, though not disbelieving in Jesus. I just didn't know him personally yet. I finally got a week of leave, so went home thinking I might die over Vietnam. While there that week I met my sister's friend, went on a date reluctantly. I was 'struck dumb' from that meeting, then cut my trip off suddenly and returned to base. Whew! Escaped.

My next trip home a month later before being arranged to fly aerial reconnaissance over the Vietnam conflict, my mother asked me to let her invite Jan over for lunch. "No, please, Mom, I want to do things, go places. I'm afraid I might get attached to her." So she came over, and deep inside me I knew "This is your wife." I returned to training, having that "voice" in me 24/7 for a week, then one night called her, proposed marriage. I took 3 more days leave to go home, marry, and spend our honeymoon on the road back to California. We did that in 1967, our first home literally on Ventura Beach in an abandoned lifesaver building, living off base.

At the time I was still being trained to fly over and around the war zone, taking high altitude photos. My wife began praying for a better future, so believed for a promotion into another field. Soon I was promoted to ATN3 in an electronic shop at Pt. Mugu, CA. I stayed stateside all along, while all my buddies who went to Vietnam perished in their spy planes. She again prayed for promotion, so made ATN2 and sent to Norfolk, VA., keeping helicopter and jet electronics working. What a great help-mate I found!

We have remained together happily married since then, 51 years and counting. The Lord picks well.

 

[Dovegiven]

@Chad,


Most do not know what it means to love another person righteously in Godly love, so they "MUST" learn to be "CONTENT" and alone first. They must learn this above how they "FEEL" emotionally about desiring to marry someone. If they cannot control themselves, it's wisdom to wait and be certain God is leading them. Option #1 is God's perfect will. Option #2 is an option for the believer in the flesh naively looking for problems.

1 Corinthians 7:8
I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

1 Corinthians 7:28
But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

This can cause a believer to desire more of the world when trying to please their mate in the fleshly livings of life. It can also cause them to go backwards away from Christ because of the troubles the wrong mate can bring.

1 Corinthians 7:32
But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
1 Corinthians 7:33
But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
1 Corinthians 7:34
There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

I failed at verse 32,33, but my wife lived verse 34. I just "thought" I was running away from God, but was running right back to where He had my wife to be waiting.

 

[jeffsi435]

The pursue the believer part of the question seems to imply a lack of faith. But, if you prayed for a boat to come save you from a flood and one showed up you would get in it. You wouldn't just say you needed to wait. There is an action that implies faith and there is an action that doesn't. But, when we pray we are to anticipate that God is going to answer and that things will change.

 

[Dovegiven]

The pursue the believer part of the question seems to imply a lack of faith. But, if you prayed for a boat to come save you from a flood and one showed up you would get in it. You wouldn't just say you needed to wait. There is an action that implies faith and there is an action that doesn't. But, when we pray we are to anticipate that God is going to answer and that things will change.

Christians label the pursuit as "according to the word of God". It is the major guidepost of life, aided by the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 6:11-18 (KJV)
11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.
12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.
13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

That covers all relationships with other people. There is no expectation from God that any peace is to be expected otherwise. That passage is key to a marriage starting out on a firm foundation. There is no support in scripture for anyone to use faith provided by God to forcefully change anyone else. Doing so anyway is likened to witchcraft. That's why many people fail miserably trying to force a spouse to change to their liking, or even demanding in prayer that God intercedes. The means God respects is for each to be a testimony of righteousness before the other, one's holy and honest, pure "conversation" mode of living under .rule of God. It can takes many years of suffering and endless hope for heavenly results. Many fail the test of patience, so it all comes back to staying equally yoked with those being most blessed potential companions for life.

 

[BlessedCreator]

You should always make sure what you are doing is in line with God's will BEFORE you do it.

Also I would recommend people focus on God in these end times. I believe we are drawing close to major events unfolding on the world
stage (and they already are with this virus that I believe is fake and a tool of Satan) that will bring us closer to a global government
that will crown the coming antichrist as its king.

 

[Lion of God]

Hi,i voted pursue and i'll tell you why ,When you read the word of God its clearly shown that Jesus refers to us as his bride ,God has consistently pursued the church ,now don't get me wrong God should be invovled in your decisions always ,so what i would say is pray to God ,wait for a response and pursue this woman as God has pursued his church ,God will be sure to guide and direct your steps ,no matter what once your living by his word he will be sure to make it known if this woman is what he desires for you .I read this verse just a few minutes ago,James 2:14 KJV which says What doth profit,my brethren though a man say he hath faith ,and have not works?Can faith save him?Faith without works is dead,it is not enough to say God will provide me with a wife ,How will she come if you don't pursue her .My brother pray if needs be fast and walk with God.Shalom

 

[AbbysAunt]

I think a person should pray and wait on God. After all He is the ultimate match maker. I think once God does bring someone into your life you should take time to get to know that person. Take it slow, get to know one another and let God grow the relationship.

 

[lentz]

Question:

What do you think is the right choice as for finding a spouse?

1. Wait on GOD
2. Pursue an equally yoked believer?

Option 1
Asking GOD for a spouse and faithfully waiting and trusting Him

Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Option 2
Pursue someone who's a genuine believer and of course, still trusting Him

Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:8-9
Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

I don’t believe God would send some stranger to your door saying,”God sent me,let’s get married “. So you pursue/court and spoon