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I can’t believe it’s been a year since I started this blog! I’m hoping that you have found this to be a resource of hope, love, and encouragement as you travel along the road of singleness. Whether you journey is only temporary, or if you feel God calling you a single lifestyle, I hope that you will find blessing, comfort, and hope in His words that I am merely the vessel for. In honor of my 1st anniversary as a blog, I’ve decided to kick of a series of posts entitled “5 Verse.” In this series I plan to explore different emotions/ feelings that we often cycle through as singles and will highlight scripture that you can keep in mind as you inevitably experience most of these feelings.. Today I’m starting with the idea of hope.

I don’t know about you, but my feelings toward being single tend to come and go in cycles. Much like the tides of the ocean, my feelings regarding my marital status change based on the atmosphere in which I spend my time. For example, I can go several months without even thinking about the idea of dating or getting married and be totally secure, confident, and happy with life being just God and me. But then something happens, like a wedding or a baby shower invitation; someone I know gets engaged or starts dating or I simply have a conversation with certain family members and suddenly I feel inadequate, self conscious, and unworthy of even God’s love. In those moments all of my insecurities about being single rush to the surface and I’m overwhelmed by emotions tied to my dwindling hope of a brighter future. Those are the moments when I need to remember to seek the truth in God’s word, rather than listening to the lies of the world.

Without further ado I’d like to share with you 5 verses that you can take with you each day to reinforce the hope that our heavenly Father provides.

1. Job 19:25 “I know that my redeemer lives and He shall stand at last on the earth.”

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You might be wondering why on earth Job is being referenced here. Job is a story of great trial and suffering, but in the end, he is greatly blessed! Job continues to have faith in God and he realizes that God is still “alive” and well. Job had hope and continued faith in God despite all of the trials he experienced. He shares his hope in this verse that his redeemer LIVES, and so does yours!

     2. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

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If this verse doesn’t showcase hope in Christ, I don’t know what will. This verse reminds me of where my strength comes from and gives me hope that Christ will always be there as a faithful partner. He will always give strength where it is needed, as long as we are faithful to seek Him and ask.

3. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

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In order to have faith, we must have hope. There’s really no way around it. When you feel lost and hopeless, just remember where your faith lies. Your heavenly Father is watching over you and smiling down upon you, even when it doesn’t feel like it, He’s always there. In those moments when you feel hopeless, that He will never fulfill your desire for love, remember that He already has. So, keep hope in your faith that God will deliver you everything that you need. And rest assured that He loves you more than you could ever know.

4. Psalm 18:2 “ The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

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Here’s another reference to the strength of God. When I’m feeling weak and burdened, I have great hope in God’s almighty strength. I know that He will be there to pick me up when I fall. He is often the shoulder that I cry on and the one that I put my hope in when all else seems lost. We cannot put our hope in the world, because it has proven to tear us down, time and time again. The only place to put your hope is in the loving arms of Jesus.

5. Jeremiah 29:11- 13 “For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for peace and not for evil. To give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.”

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I suppose that no discussion of hope would be complete without mentioning this beloved verse. This verse has very special meaning to me because the first time that I read it was the first time I’d ever felt like God was talking directly to me. It was my freshman year of college and I was struggling emotionally, so I opened my bible to a random page in the middle and these were the words that were staring back at me. To this day, this is my definite go to verse for almost anything. It highlights the hope of the future and the need for trust  in God’s plans over mine. He wants you to prosper, not despair, so take comfort and find hope in knowing that He is the one in control.

When you feel hopeless and just want to sit in your room, all alone, cursing the state of your situation, try to wade through that hopeless fog and seek refuge in the comforting words of your heavenly Father. He is alive and well to give you strength, provide for you, set His plan for your life into action, and above all, to share His love with you!

So what are some of your favorite verses that you turn to when you need hope?

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