A Singleness of Abundance

This Sunday, follower's of Jesus celebrate the greatest event to ever happen in history. The thing the world has not stopped talking about, arguing about and studying since it happened 2,000 years ago. It changed the course of history forever in the best possible way. In the Ultimate way. We as Christians celebrate Easter Sunday, the day that, after three days of lying dead in a tomb, Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead by the power of God, was seen by over 500 people, lived another month or so on earth and then ascended to heaven to sit on His throne, completing the work He was born for.

When I think of abundance I think of flowers :)

This means many things for us as humans. This means we have access to the Creator of all things, the One who created us, set this world in motion and gives us our purpose and meaning in life. We have access to God who we can call Father and who will comfort and guide us in this life. We have access to a God of healing, who brings healing now mentally, emotionally, relationally, physically and will one day bring full and complete healing to this world. And I believe this day is specifically meaningful for the single because we now have access and the invitation to follow a God who sees us fully in our singleness. Who does not make us second class or less than because we are not married. We are equally invited into His Family and into fullness.

Referring to this reality, Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, writes God's words to those who find themselves on the outskirts, the lonely, those who could not marry and says "to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever" (Isaiah 56:5). What joy :)

So, it is meditating on this God, at this time that I write this blog. In one of my recent meditation times I read Psalm 31 and this verse stood out to me specifically for singleness. I hope my thoughts serve as a helpful meditation for you this Easter weekend, reminding you of the loving God you are invited to celebrate and follow all the days of your life and beyond.

"How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you."

Psalm 31:19, underlining mine

Abundant

In singleness, we can sometimes assume that we are in a state of lack. Something is missing. Other's around us maybe have a relationship and it appears as if they have more than us. Their lives are more filled than ours as we live as a single. But if we are following Jesus, we are following a God who operates in abundance. He does not lack anything. I've heard it explained that in Exodus when Moses sees the burning bush he realizes that as it was in flames "it did not burn up"(Exodus 3:3). Meaning, the bush was still in tact and not becoming ash even though it was on fire. This may just seem like just an eye catching miracle, but actually this is showing that God does not need to consume anything to exist. This holy fire of God was able to burn and have all it needed to continuously burn without having to take anything from the bush. God is able to sustain Himself without having to take anything from anyone or anything. He lives in abundance.

And in Psalm 31 the author does not just recognize this as a great attribute of God, but tells us more about the character of God. God does not hoard His abundance for Himself but rather uses that abundance to pour out to us. And unlike humans, when God pours out goodness and gives generously, he does not have less. He does not get to the point of lacking anything, so His abundance is endless. What does this mean for us singles? If we are in Christ, we are not empty. We are not lacking. A spouse is not our source of fullness, God is. A spouse is not our source of endless life and goodness, God is. Your life can be immensely full, abundant, overflowing, not because of marriage or a relationship, but because you are loved by and infinitely good and generous God who is brimming with desire to show you His abundance. Take heart, you are not lacking. "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:30).

Good Things

I think it's important we understand the quality of things God wants to give us. I can often get into the mindset that most of what God has for me is simply practical, efficient, correcting, etc, nothing more. Not bad things, but things that feel a bit more cold or neutral. But the word used here in Psalm 31 for the things God has for us is good aka "tuv" in Hebrew. This word is associated with beauty, joy, the choice options. This word is used, for example, in Genesis 45:20 when Pharaoh is giving Joseph and his family the best parts of

La Jolla Shores, CA

land in Egypt "Never mind about your belongings, because the best (tuv) of all Egypt will be yours.’ ” This is the word that describes the things God has for us. And notice, this is not at all connected to marital or relationship status. There are things that God has for you right here, right now as a single. Things that are beautiful, life-giving and for your good. "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." - Jesus (Matthew 7:11)

Stored Up

These words were what struck me the most in this verse. Not only is God a God of abundance and not only are the things He wants to give good, but they are "stored up". This gave me the sense of God thinking of me ahead of time, thinking of good things I would enjoy and that are for my good and storing them up just waiting to give them to me. God isn't waiting until I measure up in some way or meet some standard before He gives me any good things, He has them ready to go. God isn't a last minute shopper just finding the easiest, most convenient thing to grab and then give me, He has the good things already chosen and waiting for me. All of this is true for you too.

I hope in your singleness you can lean into this truth. That, again, your singleness isn't a perpetual state of lack, but one that is open for these stored up good things of God. I can often put God in a box and assume that what I know and what I've experienced of Him so far is all their is. But time and again in the Bible we see evidence of the depth of God that we don't even have categories for. For example in Ephesians Paul beautifully tries to capture the immensity of what God has done and made available to us in Jesus's death and resurrection. Paul explains that what God has done was His plan all along, the thing that history has been waiting for: "In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets" (Ephesians 3:4-5). Living as an Israelite and having the presence of God and the Law with you, how could someone even imagine God Himself coming to earth? The good that God had stored up and planned for them and the world.

But not only has God had good things stored up in the past, He still does. Paul writes also in Ephesians: "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6-7, italics mine). Did you catch that? In the coming ages there are even deeper and more wonderful things God has for us as we continue to know Him more deeply. All this to say, have faith and seek the good things God has stored up for you, He has not forgotten you and wants to give you good gifts in this life of all shapes and sizes.

Refuge

Lastly, the one requirement to have access to these things of God is that you take refuge in Him. What does this mean? When you are scared, struggling, worn down, where do you go? What do you turn to for comfort, safety and guidance? That will tell you first what you are seeking refuge in. To seek refuge in God means to turn to Him for your safety and grounding and comfort. This could be external like reading the Psalms, listening to worship music, going for a walk in nature. It could also be more internal, praying to God openly, honestly, out loud about what you are feeling and waiting for an answer. Maybe that

A worship and prayer night during SEVEN, a united week of prayer and fasting among multiple churches in San Diego

answer comes in that moment, maybe God responds in a conversation later on, maybe the next verse you read hits you like a ton of bricks and is exactly what you need to hear. God speaks to us in many different ways and it may take time to learn to hear Him above the noise of our world and our minds, but He does speak. He does comfort. He is a stable place to turn to when the storms of life ramp up.

Why is turning to God for refuge a requirement for us to receive the good things from God? This is definitely a multi-faceted answer, but I believe it's because God wants an authentic relationship with us. God is not a genie, when we want something we don't rub our bibles like a lamp and then get three wishes from God and then go on our way. God also isn't like a Greek god waiting for us to say the right chant or offer the right sacrifice to then maybe answer our prayer or send us comfort. God is highly relational, He is the only God in history to come down into our mess to save us from our mess without waiting for us to reach His standard. The life of Jesus shows us God is interested in true relationship with us. When we seek refuge in God we have to be vulnerable, both with our emotions and with actually believing He can do something about it. We wrestle with God in our circumstances, getting to know Him and His voice more and more. And as we get to know this God we have an accurate context in which to receive the good things. Again, not because God is a genie obligated to give us our three wishes or because we have somehow earned them, but because God is love and He is waiting to give us the good things He has stored up.

Raphael painting of the resurrection, 1502, High Renaissance era.