Well, if you've listened to the Ask Pastor John podcast for more than a few weeks, you know that we regularly explore life's deepest sadnesses and most painful losses.

This is a fitting place to hear Pastor John address hard situations, and those hard situations include couples who are unable to bear children of their own on infertility.

We have looked at an amazing Bible text, an amazing promise in Isaiah 56 versus 4 and 5.

And you can see how important Isaiah 56 versus 4 and 5 is pastorally in the Aspastor John book,

if you have that handy look at page

193. There you're going to see that the same incredible promise can be applied to two different

sadnesses, infertility and lifelong singleness, one of those essential texts you really want in

hand when the time is right in ministering to

others, Isaiah 56 versus 4 to 5.

And so lifelong singleness is, again, the topic today in an email from a woman, a listener

who writes in anonymously, hello, Pastor John.

I'm 43 and a faithful Christian have been all my life, but I have never been married.

I've been visiting many

congregations in my community and have yet to find a suitable mate. I am haunted by the story of

Jeptha and his daughter at the end of Judges 11 versus 34 to 40. I know the point of that story

is to teach us not to make rash vows, especially to God, but when I see

how his daughter wanted to spend the last two months of her life mourning that she will never be a

wife or mother, it terrifies me. It shows me that if I don't get married, I am missing out. The fear

is compounded when I consider Jesus' words from Matthew 2230. I know some teachers,

including you, who use this verse to give hope for single people, but I don't see what is hopeful about it.

I resonate with Jeptha's daughter. If people are neither married nor given in marriage in the

resurrection, that means if one doesn't get married in this life, they will

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