25/08/2026
LIGHT OF THE NATIONS ASSEMBLY INT’L, JOS PLATEAU STATE NIGERIA
NEXT LEVEL–A Daily Devotional by Apostle Nanyak Luka
DATE: AUGUST, 26TH, 2026
TOPIC: WHY HURRY? A Word to Those Who Are Single
Scripture Reading: Genesis 39:2–3, 21–23; Ruth 2:3; Ruth 4:13–17; Genesis 50:20–21; Isaiah 54:5
DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
There is a question I want to ask every single Christian today: When I'm talking about single Christian, I am talking about; Widows, widower, never married or Divorced. The question is, Why hurry? Why are you in such a hurry to get married? Why are you allowing your age, your emotions, your friends, your family, social media, or the fear of loneliness to pressure you into a relationship? Why are you considering settling for someone who does not honour God simply because you are afraid that another opportunity may never come? Slow down. Breathe. Trust God.
Marriage is important, and it is a beautiful institution established by God, but marriage is not worth destroying your destiny over. It is better to wait for God's will than to rush into something you will spend years trying to escape. There are people who prayed desperately for marriage, only to discover after marriage that they were praying for deliverance from the very person they had prayed to find. There are people who were afraid of being alone, so they accepted someone who eventually made them even lonelier inside the marriage. There are people who were afraid of missing their opportunity, so they grabbed the first available person and later discovered that availability is not the same thing as suitability.
Single Christian, hear me clearly: loneliness is real, but loneliness should never become your counsellor. You may desire companionship. You may desire someone to love you, build with you, pray with you, and walk through life with you. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that desire. But there is something dangerous about allowing that desire to become desperation. Desperation will make you call red flags green. It will make you excuse character problems, compromise your convictions, tolerate unhealthy behaviour, and accept what God never asked you to accept. It will make you say, “At least someone wants me.” But you don't need someone who merely wants you; you need someone whose life and values are aligned with God's purpose for you.
Do not marry because someone is available. Do not marry because everyone around you is married. Do not marry because your biological clock is ticking. Do not marry because your parents or friends are pressuring you. Do not marry because you are tired of attending weddings as a single person. Do not marry because you are afraid of growing old alone. And certainly do not marry simply because you are afraid that this may be your last opportunity. Never allow temporary loneliness to make a permanent decision for you.
Consider Ruth. Ruth was a widow and a foreigner from Moab. She had already experienced the pain of losing her husband, and humanly speaking, she could have concluded that her opportunity for marriage was over. But Ruth made a powerful decision: she chose God. She stayed with Naomi, returned to Israel, worked diligently, and remained faithful. Then Scripture says, “She happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz” (Ruth 2:3). What appeared to be an ordinary coincidence was actually a divine arrangement. Ruth was not running around desperately searching for a husband. She was faithfully fulfilling her responsibilities, and while Ruth was working in her field, God was working behind the scenes.
Boaz eventually noticed Ruth, and their relationship unfolded according to God's providence. Ruth married Boaz, and they had a son named Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse became the father of David, and through that lineage came Jesus Christ. Think about it: Ruth thought she was simply going into a field to glean grain, but God was positioning her inside the genealogy of the Messiah. She thought she was surviving; God was building history through her. She thought she was simply gathering what was left behind; God was arranging destiny. Your present situation may be much smaller than God's purpose for your life.
Your single season is not necessarily a wasted season. Some people think, “Once I get married, then my real life will begin.” No. Your life has already begun. Your calling has already begun. Your purpose has already begun. Your relationship with God has already begun. Your assignment has already begun. Marriage is not the beginning of your destiny. You were created before you were married. You were called before you were married. You had purpose before you met your spouse. Therefore, do not put your entire life on pause while waiting for marriage. Grow. Learn. Serve. Build. Pray. Develop your gifts. Strengthen your character. Pursue God. Become emotionally mature. Become financially responsible. Become spiritually grounded. Become the kind of person who can sustain the blessing you are praying for.
Sometimes God is not withholding the relationship; He is preparing you for the relationship. The waiting season may be developing your character, strengthening your discernment, healing wounds, teaching you wisdom, and preparing you for responsibilities you are not yet ready to carry. You may be asking God, “Where is my spouse?” while God is asking, “Who are you becoming?”
Look at Joseph. Joseph was single, yet he was successful. Genesis 39 repeatedly emphasizes one thing: “The LORD was with Joseph.” He was in Potiphar's house, and the Lord was with him. He was in prison, and the Lord was with him. He had no spouse beside him, yet he was still advancing God's purpose. He was rejected, betrayed, falsely accused, and forgotten, but none of those circumstances cancelled God's plan for his life. Eventually, Joseph moved from the prison to the palace. Years later, when his brothers stood before him, Joseph said, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
Joseph understood something many people never learn: God can use the very season you are complaining about to prepare you for the future you are praying for. Your wilderness can be preparation. Your waiting can be preparation. Your loneliness can become a season of deeper intimacy with God. Your disappointments can develop your discernment. Your past relationship can teach you what you should never repeat. Your single season can make you wiser, stronger, and more spiritually mature.
You must also learn not to sell yourself cheaply. Imagine an antique table that is genuinely worth N1000,000. A buyer offers N600,000 The owner refuses. He offers N500,000 then N400,000 but she still refuses. Why? Because the owner knows the value of what she possesses. The buyer's offer does not determine the table's true value. In the same way, your value is not determined by how many people want to marry you. Just because nobody has proposed to you yet does not mean you are unwanted. Just because a relationship ended does not mean your life ended. Just because someone rejected you does not mean God rejected you. Just because you are still single does not mean you are behind.
Your value was established by your Creator long before anybody showed romantic interest in you. Therefore, stop reducing yourself because you are lonely. Stop compromising because you are afraid. Stop accepting emotional crumbs. Stop allowing someone to access your life simply because they are available. You belong to God.
As a Christian single, you have choices. You can complain about your circumstances. You can compromise and grab the next available person. Or you can consecrate this season to God and use it to grow. Instead of spending all your time asking, “Lord, when will I get married?” begin asking, “Lord, what are You developing in me while I wait?” That question can transform your life. Instead of merely asking God for a spouse, ask Him to make you a godly spouse. Instead of obsessing over who is coming, become faithful with what is already in your hands.
Isaiah 54:5 says, “For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name.” Before you become somebody's husband or somebody's wife, learn to belong completely to God. Fall deeply in love with Jesus. Build your prayer life. Know the Word. Serve God's kingdom. Walk in purity. Develop your purpose. And when God brings the right person, you will not need to abandon God to keep that person.
Your spouse cannot carry the weight of being your God. A husband cannot give you the identity only Christ can give. A wife cannot give you the security only God can provide. A human being cannot fill a space that was created for God. Therefore, stay married to the Lord while you wait for Him to unfold the rest of your story.
Why hurry? You don't have to force what God can arrange. You don't have to manipulate what God can orchestrate. You don't have to compromise to be chosen. Ruth did not have to chase Boaz. God knew where Boaz was. God knows where your future is. God knows who you need. God knows when you are ready. God knows what He is doing.
So do not let the pressure of today make you destroy tomorrow. Take your time. Pray. Observe character. Ask questions. Seek godly counsel. Do not ignore what you see simply because of what you hope will happen. A wedding lasts a day, but marriage lasts for years. The person you marry can influence your peace, your children, your finances, your ministry, your emotional life, your spiritual growth, and potentially generations after you. Therefore, do not make a lifelong decision simply because you are experiencing a temporary season of loneliness.
Maybe you feel forgotten. Maybe your friends have moved ahead. Maybe younger people are getting married before you. Maybe you have experienced divorce. Maybe you are a widow or widower. Maybe you have never been married. Whatever your story is, hear this: God has not forgotten you. You are not late. You are not behind. You are not disqualified. Your story is still being written.
Joseph's prison was not his conclusion. Ruth's widowhood was not her conclusion. David's wilderness was not his conclusion. And your present season is not your conclusion. God is still working. The same God who guided Ruth can guide you. The same God who preserved Joseph can preserve you. The same God who turns evil into good can turn your present season into something beautiful.
So lift your head. Stop panicking. Stop comparing. Stop settling. Stop rushing. Trust God. While you wait, become wiser. Become stronger. Become spiritually deeper. Become emotionally mature. Become financially responsible. Become purposeful. Become the person God can entrust with what you are asking Him to bring.
Sometimes the greatest miracle is not simply that God finally brings someone into your life. It is that, while you were waiting, God transformed you into someone who was ready for what He was bringing.
Therefore, single Christian, why hurry? What God has ordained for you does not need desperation to make it happen. You do not have to chase what God has already appointed. You do not have to settle for less because you are afraid there will be no more. You do not have to compromise your convictions just to change your marital status. Keep walking with God. Keep serving. Keep growing. Keep becoming. Keep trusting.
And when God's appointed time comes, you will look back and understand that the waiting was not wasted.
Don't rush the process. Don't settle for an available option when you can wait for God's perfect will. Your story is still unfolding.
REFLECTION
As you reflect on this message, ask yourself honestly: Am I waiting on God, or am I allowing fear, loneliness, age, or pressure to push me into settling? Am I becoming the person I am praying to meet? Remember Ruth: while she faithfully worked in the field, God was arranging her future. Your single season is not a wasted season. Allow God to prepare you for what He has prepared for you.
PRAYER
Father, help me to trust Your timing and never allow loneliness, fear, or pressure to make decisions for me. Use this season to prepare me, strengthen my character, and draw me closer to You. If marriage is Your will for me, lead me to the right person at the right time. Keep me from wrong relationships, compromise, and settling for less than Your will. In Jesus name, Amen. 🙏
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