» Waiting On The Master List

Guest Post by Maid of Heart (Blog Author of Histiara and Faith Dames).

When I was single, like any young woman waiting on the Lord and wanting the best for herself, I wrote down a list of seven things I wanted in a husband. I must confess that I included the ‘Tall, dark and handsome’ title to my list. Who wouldn’t want a man who could make you swoon?

But the day I was studying the life of Abraham and how he sacrificed the most precious thing to him back to God, I thought about my life and wondered if there was anything I was still holding back from God, something precious to me. I had given Him my time, my energy, a good chunk of my income so I couldn’t think of anything else until the Lord nudged me. I had my list neatly tucked in somewhere in my bible hoping that God would read it and package my husband to me. I felt the Lord asking me to give up my list and let Him deal with it Himself. You see, I thought I had given God everything precious to me but it seemed this list had a larger stake in my heart than I realized. Giving that list to God was like dying to self and I cringed at the thought.

I reasoned with the Lord and had a lot of ifs and buts. I didn’t feel He’d understand or get it right. Number four on my list was I wanted a man who was adventurous with food or at least who wasn’t crazy about pounded yam or ask that I pound yam at 2.30am in the morning. I certainly didn’t want to learn to pound yam at all. And then number six on my list was sexual compatibility. So how was God going to understand and deal with that? Since as Christians we can’t experiment before sealing the deal. Then again, I still had that ‘tall dark and handsome mentality. I didn’t want to wake up every morning to behold a toothy Scarface and still say ‘Praise the Lord’. Come on, folks, I’m being real here.

I lived with such uncertainty it was pathetic. Each time in church a brother walked up to me, looked my way or gave me any kind of attention, especially if he wasn’t good looking, I’d have sweat pouring down my body and would silently pray, “Oh Lord, no, not him, please don’t let him even look at me or tell me thus saith the Lord. Lord, please have mercy on me and indulge me just this once.” I clearly didn’t understand God enough to trust Him and be at rest.

But look here at what the bible says in Genesis chapter 2:20-22:

“And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”

Adam had no idea he needed an Eve. He thought everything was honky-dory. He had his lush garden, the tweeting birds of the air, splashing fishes in the sea, the beaming sun, sand and sea; his very own private paradise. What more could a man ask for? But God knew he wasn’t complete. He needed something vital, something precious to fully function in the capacity God desired him to. So God anaesthetized him and crafted an exquisitely beautiful being to complete Adam. If God knew Adam needed a woman even when Adam had no clue of his inadequacies, would God not know the exact detail of what we NEED? And of course don’t kid me; Adam didn’t know what to do with Eve until God showed him. Lol.

But you see sisters, when God crafted us, He took thought to EVERY detail of our being and that includes our personality, our physique; every detail. That’s why He said:

“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

¹Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke 11:11-13

Giving up my list meant trusting God to lead me to my own Adam; the man whom I could the best help to and complete, because He knows me better than I know myself. So I may want Tom, Dick or Harry but He knows Daniel, Gideon or David is better for me. God is still the best match maker there is and there ever will be. We may have a list of seven or twelve things we want in a man but God may have a hundred and more awesome things to add and so our list of seven has limited Him. Would we insist on our list and miss out on His total package of a hundred and more? The truth is we don’t really know what we want or need. We often desire things that are ephemeral, things that in a few years time would no longer matter or things we’d outgrow. But God knows the authentic things that would matter both here and in eternity.

“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” Prov 19:21

God knows the best person to make you his Mrs. He knows the best person who can deal with your quirks and still love you. He knows the best person who can wash you with the water of His words and present you back to Him. He knows the best person who can overlook your temper tantrums and still think you’re cute. He knows the best person that can kiss you and make your toes curl. He knows the best person who can hold you in his arms and make you forget the world. The question is will you trust God and wait for Him?

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” Eph 3:20

God is able to do better than we give Him credit for and able to do much more than we can ever think or imagine.

But when the time comes, the Lord will bring your Boaz in a nice package, beyond your wildest dreams.

Prayer points:

For the ability to be trust God completely to fulfill His promise in your life [Proverbs 3:5]
For the ability to identify and let go of anything or person that seems to have a place in your heart above God [Matthew 6:24]

You are invited to visit here monthly to check out articles for the Ruth Sisters. Please take note of the prayer points, which you could use in your quiet time or during a period of fasting. If you have questions or experiences you would like to share, please drop me an email at rita@eroinspirations.com. Like Ruth and Naomi, let us stick together in both the good times and in the waiting times.

“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!”

[Psalm 27:14].

http://expandingmyterritory.blogspot.com/ jabez

Awesome post!!! an inspiration for those in the ‘waiting room’. I seriously laughed at the ““Oh Lord, no, not him, please don’t let him even look at me” part. hahaha! I find myself in such situation many times. ha!!!

But i agree, the Lord has the best plans for us. He fashioned us, he knows exactly what we need. I have been encouraging young women to make a ‘list’ of qualities they want in a man..but also to submit the list to God for ‘editing’. This way, when the right one comes, they would know if it is HIM because he looks exactly just like the ‘blueprint’

Thanks MOH… thanks Rita for doing this. You inspire us all
http://dhjax.me/blog dhjax

Guess the general principles involved also hold for blokes then… Timely reminder…
YSU

Very Inspirational……I love it!…I find my self saying father be quick as I’m anxious but then I have learn to wait.
http://www.inyamuakut.com Jakut05

lol, i have my ‘please not him’ moments
Thanks for this, he’ll give us more than we can ever ask or think.

kisses to the lil babe.
David C Brown

Marriage is one of the biggest deals, but in everything we need to learn – I’m still learning! – that god can look after us better than we can look after ourselves.
http://beforethealtarofmythoughts.blogspot.com/ Miss Onakz

Thanks a lot for this. I believe the list just helps to know what we
want. But of course, its the thoughts of God that matter most.
http://profiles.google.com/tip2ng Khalida Kukoyi

Does that mean that one should not have a list anymore. The bible did say to make your request known to God in supplication.

Still, this was helpful and inspiring!
http://www.mynewhitmanwrites.com/ Myne Whitman

Lovely post. I think knowing what you want is important even if they are not in lists.
http://www.histiara.com Maidofheart

Jabez, that’s exactly what this post is about ‘submitting our list to God for editing’ and God doesn’t deny us anything good.
Maidofheart

Lovely comments, Miss Onakz.

The list is important, thanks for that. Just as Isaac was important to Abraham but still he was willingly to sacrifice him to God. God didn’t want Isaac sacrificed, He wanted to know if Abraham was ‘willing’ to give him up.
Maidofheart

Khalida,

I like your question. No, it doesn’t mean that at all. That’s now what this message is about. It’s about the readiness and willingness to let go and let God. Something like total submission, even if we all including myself still struggle with it daily.

I did point out that God always gives us better than we expect. Please see my response to Miss Onakz.
Maidofheart

I guess it does…:-)
Maidofheart

Lol. Good take on this, YSU.
Maidofheart

Lol. Glad you can relate. Yes, God does give us better than we expect.
Maidofheart

So true David.
Maidofheart

Thanks Myne. Knowing what we want is very important as letting God in on it as well.
http://twitter.com/Issuesetal Dee!

I also had that sort of list! But the sweetest thing was when I learn to release myself to the WILL of the Almighty God! I had to let go and let God.

This is a very inspirational post! I believe it will minister to all readers.
http://dancewithme-shona.blogspot.com/ Shona

I enjoyed this post very much and could not help laughing because I can identify with so much that you have written. I can not count the number of times i have panicked and cried out to God ‘Oh Lord, no, not him…’

I kind of have a love and hate relationship with my husband list. I like the fact that I know what I want and have been brave enough to note it down and tell God. But at other times I think that my list makes me rigid and maybe it is too ambitious. I do agree that it is important to surrender the list to the all knowing God. To be honest for me this is working progress.
http://www.histiara.com Maidofheart

Beautiful Shona. I’m so glad you’re not rigid with your list. I like what you said about ‘knowing what you want’. It’s so important.
http://www.histiara.com Maidofheart

That’s right, Dee. Letting go is never easy but it’s worth the while. Whilst God isn’t against our list, it’s our willingness to trust Him more than our list that counts.
http://www.funke-thoughts.blogspot.com Olufunke

This blessed me, I am still learning….learning to let God take care of me and my needs the way He knows best.
Thanks
http://www.histiara.com Maidofheart

So glad it did. You’re welcome, Olufunke.
http://profiles.google.com/tolulope.ilesanmi Tolulope Ilesanmi

Great post, MOH.

I think it speaks to trust and pride and applies to all of life, just as choosing a life partner. We can definitely survive in this world without trusting God but we severely shortchange ourselves when we do not trust him to provide for us, whether it is physical sustenance or a life partner.

He is a very humble God, because it should be a no-brainer for the created to be wholly dependent on the Creator but this humble God indulges us and allows us to choose whether or not to trust Him, in whom we live, move and have our being. This humble God brings himself so low as to be a choice for his creatures.

In my pride and foolishness, I may think I know better, but I think one of the greatest realizations that can dawn on a human being is that God is more intelligent, more knowledgeable in every matter from marriage and sexuality to business transactions. After all, would we know beauty if not for Him? Would we know pleasure if He did not originate it?
http://www.histiara.com Maidofheart

“After all, would we know beauty if not for Him? Would we know pleasure if He did not originate it?”

Tolu, this is just inspiring and spot on. Bringing our hearts back to the God who originated our individuality, power of choice and ability to reason and saying we’re letting Him have first say even though He gave us the freedom to choose.

Thank you, Tolu.
Tolulope Ilesanmi

I love your insights, MOH. You have hit on something that I believe is at the core of the heart that most honors God. Can you imagine the joy you would have as a parent when your daughter gives you back something you gave her in the first place? You will be so honored that you want to give it right back to her. This is the secret and I am learning it. Whatever we wholeheartedly offer to God our Father, He gives back to us multiplied, including our power of choice. God’s head swells when we say to him, “You first.”

If you trust God to give you your life partner and leave it up to Him even though you know what you want, He will give you much more than you could ever imagine, more than you wanted, which you actually needed but did not know, as MOH said. There is something called “not my will but yours be done” and His will is not anti-beauty, anti-pleasure or anti-prosperity.
Tolulope Ilesanmi

By the way, I like what you said about Adam not knowing what to do with Eve until Hod showed him. God authored beauty and pleasure.
Tolulope Ilesanmi

Sorry about that error. I meant God not Hod.
Chizy k

Auuw very nice post i enjoyed reading it

http://chizys-spyware.blogspot.com
Kafo

trusting God in everything
this is beautiful
i love the way you write
Daughterofherking

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo this is me right there…(Covers face). I have my lists, but although there are deeper ones, there are the superficial ones( too like, he has to have nice set of teeth, nice facial structure, fine body, packs on point, 6ft2 etc(this fades away with time and age) and to top it of, he needs to have a heart of God, mind of JESUS and his level of maturity is wellllllllll WOW in all aspects. Also he is ermmmmm correct, you know what I mean now,and finally not only does he see me as good thing that through my virtuousness he will obtain favour from the LORD. He sees our potential and the part we can play together, as two heads is better than one and iron will sharpeneth iron i.e. the constant need to grow for CHRIST is there. And oh yeah, his swagger should be all onpoint.

Like you, am always saying pls not him, or oh God not that one. But after understanding that God knows my desires and answers my need. I will be as a sulking child, give back the chocomilo and pray that whoever they are, I will allow myself to be happy and together fulfill purpose… that is well scary, but PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER is the KEY. Besides, KING knows best. so will watch and seeee ohh…(chuckles).

Waiting On The Master List

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