A pilot was experiencing difficulty in landing his plane because of fog, and the airport decided to bring him in by radar. As he began to receive directions from the ground, he suddenly remembered a tall pole in the flight path and appealed in a panic to the control tower about it. The reply came bluntly, “You obey instructions; we will take care of obstructions.” How many Christians hesitate to obey God’s Word because of problems and difficulties? If we only obey, He is capable of dealing with problems and difficulties. (From Practical Bible Illustrations from Yesterday and Today Copyright © 1996, 1998 by AMG International, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by Permission.)
Some young adults struggle to find someone to marry because they struggle to follow God’s instructions. They keep looking for Barbie dolls, and men who walk on water. When the process drags out, they begin to complain that they are lonely and become frustrated with God.
God who is in the control tower is clear. “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord”. (Proverbs 18:22; NASU) Notice the passage says, “finds a wife”, not a woman who is a ‘brick house’ (okay, I know that just timed me out, but you get the point). So, the question is more about who a wife is. It is hard to address because we are too caught up in the obstacles that create fears and anxieties, and we stop listening to the tower. Oh, don’t get me wrong there needs to be some physical attraction but that does not need to be controlled by our dreams. You may get all the attraction you want, and she is not a wife and ends up with a nightmare.
Ruth went after Boaz. He kept taking too long just being nice! Naomi did not want her to be alone like she was. Naomi went out and did some research (Ruth 3:2) and told Ruth, “Girl, you better put a move on him,” and Ruth did (Ruth 3:4-5, 8-9). It wasn’t like Boaz was the great spiritual leader and handsome and all that (Ruth 3:10). Naomi knew that he would get drunk (Ruth 3:7), but he was a man who loved God and was of good character (Ruth 2:8-16; 3:15; chapter 4). There were obstacles but Boaz showed leadership and respected what the control tower had to say. When he married Ruth, they gave birth to another part of the lineage of Christ. Who would have known that? They simply followed the orders provided by the Lord’s influence and blessed His kingdom.
You may say, ‘suppose God does not want me to get married.’ There you go, not listening to the control tower. God said if you do not have the gift of celibacy marry (1 Corinthians 7:7). The most important thing is to find someone who is saved (2 Corinthians 6:14), teachable, and therefore willing to grow and you will find a husband who will one day be Christ and a wife who will mature to be the church (Ephesians 5:32). The last part of Proverbs 18:22 guarantees this, it says, “you will find favor from God”.
Trust the process!