What does God have to say to single mothers?

The Bible does not directly address single mothers, but there are many
examples of God's gentle interaction with women, mothers, widows and
their children. These examples, and God's gentleness, apply whether a
mother is single or married or widowed or divorced. God knows each
person intimately and knows her situation completely. The Bible warns
that sex outside of marriage is sinful and dangerous and will bring
troubles, one of which is that a woman might have to raise a child by
herself, which is undoubtedly difficult. And if it is her own sin that
has resulted in single motherhood, our gracious God is still just as
willing to bring help and comfort. And what's better is that He offers
forgiveness for those sins through Jesus Christ and the eternal
comfort of heaven for the mother who accepts Him, the children who
accept Him, and even the estranged husband who accepts Him!

But often a woman finds herself alone and raising children through no
fault of her own. Sadly, women are often innocent victims of a world
wracked by war and terrorism. Husbands go off to war and never return,
selflessly giving their lives for their countries. If a husband's
death has left a woman single with children, there is no doubt that
God will help and comfort that woman.

God cares about families. But He is more concerned that each person,
no matter what her family looks like, repenting of sin and coming into
a relationship with Him. He wants us to know Him, because His
creatures knowing Him brings us joy and brings Him glory. We get bound
up in the details of our lives, worrying what other people will think
of us and whether the church will accept us and whether we have ruined
things entirely. But God calls the Christian to the joy of being above
the weight of worry. He has said that we should cast all our cares
upon Him, for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). He wants to carry the
burden and forgive our sins and then forget about our sins and help us
to move on. All He asks us to do is know Him, delight in Him, and
trust Him. Single mothers are often very responsible people, and
sometimes it can be hard to just "set aside" worries and cares. A
single mother might feel guilty just thinking about it! But God
commands us to do it anyway, to spend a little time each day to focus
on Him, and trust (during the rest of the day) that He will provide
for us, both physically and emotionally as we lean on Him.

What this might look like for a single mom is setting aside time to
read the Bible and pray. She might think, "I just don't have time for
that between working and raising a child and taking care of the house
and everything else." But if even for half an hour when her child is
sleeping or being watched by a relative or friend, she can set aside
time to talk to God in prayer and listen to His voice in Scripture,
even if it means not cleaning that pile of dishes, she will find His
amazing strength and comforting presence will be with her for the rest
of the day. Memorizing verses like "The Lord is my helper, I will not
be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 118:6) or "I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) will help
provide tangible reminders of His love and protection when things get
tough or stressful.

So, what does God have to say to single mothers? The same thing He has
to say to everyone else. Repent of sin, trust in Christ for
forgiveness, communicate with God through prayer, listen to His voice
through Scripture, lean on God for strength in trials, and put your
hope in the amazing eternal life with Him that He has planned. "For no
eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived the wonderful
things that God has prepared for those that love Him" (1 Corinthians
2:9).