Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Single Dove, but not Alone
One day shortly after my husband Jimmy died, I looked out the kitchen window and saw one dove. I waited for its mate to fly in, but it never did. And I thought, “I’m that dove.” Every once in awhile I see her. There’s a difference between lone and lonesome. The definition of lone: solitary or single. Lonesome: lonely, or unhappy at being alone. I believe the awesome Creator God uses all sorts of things, especially nature, to speak to us if we‘ll sit still and be quiet. This gentle bird was healthy, beautiful, and going about her daily routine. For whatever reason, her mate was gone and she was simply carrying on.
One evening the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “You’re not the only single woman in the world.” That was a true fact and a vital revelation for me. I needed that God-moment of understanding which was a double-decker packed with courage and resolve.
God’s Word is the believer’s instruction manual for everyday living. Knowing and embracing the truth found in these pages can change your life if you’ll jump on the bandwagon with God. The following four scriptures are powerful promises and reminders of what to believe and act on if you’re flying solo:
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God“ (1 Samuel 30:6 KJV). As David pulled himself up by his bootstraps, he asked God to encourage him. God will not fly the coop when you’re in the middle of a challenging situation. He‘s always available to provide you with support, confidence, and hope…just ask Him in faith.
Jesus is speaking to His disciples and says, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever…for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you” (John 14:16,17b AMP). Believers may have to get in front of the mirror, look themselves in the eyes and say, “I am never alone because the Holy Spirit lives in me and that‘s as close as it gets.”
“…God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear‘” (Hebrews 13:5,6 NLT). No matter what the situation looks like or how you feel, you are never alone. You can depend on God to keep His Word. When the winds of adversity have come and gone, you can keep gliding because Jesus remains with you.
“May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with patience. And with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to have your share of what God has reserved for His people in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:11 GNT). Believe God has made you strong through His mighty power, then you can act on your faith and joyfully fly through life’s storms with thanksgiving.
The Key: There are no solo flights in God’s Kingdom.