Just recently, I was asked by sweet friends to join them in
their journey with Christ as a group. It is going wonderfully well and I’ve
even made some new friends with the same morals and values as myself. We are
studying Angela Thomas’ book, Stronger,
that is about finding hope in fragile places.
My favorite thing about devotional studies and learning
scripture is that God always tends to show me something new about an old story
other than what I had originally thought it was about. That, or He uses
scripture to speak to us even when we aren’t listening to Him in other ways. In
example, today’s devotional was about loneliness. When I first saw the title I
was thinking to myself, “Oh boy, this WOULD be the first devotion I read about…
Professional researchers say our culture has become the most
disconnected, socially isolated, loneliest community of people ever. The
reasons for our loneliness are as diverse as our personalities and journeys. Coming out of high school, I had my two best
friends go off in separate directions to different schools. My brother was
getting married to the love of his life an hour away from home. My wonderful
and obedient parents along with my little brother were going off to Africa for
three years. My family is already small, but my close family relatives don’t
even live in Virginia (excluding my mother’s parents who are greatly ill and extremely
busy with work and medical appointments). It has definitely been a struggle for
me to get rid of this feeling of loneliness, of course, but I didn’t realize
how bad and big of a problem it has been in my life as well as many of your
hearts that have already encountered the same pain.
I’ve tried everything, so I thought. I tried to “cure” my
loneliness. I tried dating. I’ve tried making new friends through taking on new
jobs or adding more classes. I even looked into getting a puppy. Some of us do find
a cure for our loneliness though, but then it just circles back around to us in
another way. Coming to terms with this struggle for myself has meant finally
understanding lonely times are just going to occur on this journey. Charles
Spurgeon says, “No believer traverses all
the road to heaven in company. There must be lonely spots here and there,
though the greater part of our heavenward pilgrimage is made cheerful by the
society of fellow travelers. Christ’s sheep love to go in flocks. We take sweet
counsel together and walk to the House of God in company. Yet somewhere or
other on the road, every Christian will find narrow paths and close places
where pilgrims must march in single file.”
This is the kind of loneliness that us as believers
experience. At times we will walk “single file”, but we are still in the
company of other believers! But can you imagine loneliness apart from Jesus? I
shudder at the thought of such a desperate place. God is much stronger than any loneliness we will ever face. He made us
this promise in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you or forsake you”. As I
continued through in my study, I learned that this English translation does not
do the original just or show us the full weight of this verse. Rewritten in its
full original language intended, it goes like this: “I will not, I will not, I
will not let you down, leave you in a lurch, leave you destitute, leave you in
straits or helpless, or abandon you”.
We may struggle with times of loneliness, but this promise
always holds, as we’re lonely but never forsaken by God.
I know I shouldn’t have favorites, but my favorite disciple
to learn about and study is Paul. Growing up, I wanted to be a missionary and a
teacher, ironically, during this time of my passion for those two things I had
been studying all about Paul and his books of the Bible. While I’m studying
loneliness, I can’t help but to think about the loneliness he experienced in a Roman
prison cell. In those ancient jails, there was no modern-day cure for his
loneliness, but as a follower of Jesus, Paul had what he needed, the promise of
God’s faithfulness. Paul had multiple reasons to feel lonely: his living
conditions were unpleasant- he was imprisoned in Rome, winter was approaching
(cold weather and dark days), he’d been abandoned by his friends, he missed his
friend and ministry partner, and he knew death was close (in his case,
execution).
Paul was a smart man of God. He became proactive and took
healthy action to treat his loneliness. Paul asked for the visits of godly and
trusted friends, physical comfort from the cold, his books to keep his mind
occupied (these would not have been Scripture but additional teaching), his old
copies of the Old Testament, he genuinely forgave those who had abandoned him,
he reaffirmed that his strength came from the never-forsaking presence of God,
he kept his hope secure in Jesus Christ (his Savior), he kept his worship
focused on the glory of God, and he turned his thoughts away from himself and
onto the welfare of his friends.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of
them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or
forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they
comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
Some good reassurance scripture: Genesis 2:18, Psalms 68:6,
Matthew 28:20, Ecclesiastes 4:10-11
Something interesting to think about is that the average
American today probably meets as many people in one year as the average person
did in a lifetime 100 years ago. Yet we’re far lonelier. Why?
Several recent surveys suggest that lonely people,
especially teenagers, reach out through their social networks, desperately
looking for someone who cares. We continue to CRAVE personal
interactions—perhaps more so because we have electronic witness to the interactions
of others. We as Christians can see this as an opportunity to reach out to
disenfranchised, lonely people and show the love of Christ, a man who knows
sorrow and pain.
Angela Thomas’ devotional, Stronger, has made me realize
that I may become lonely on my journey toward home, but I am not alone. God
promised never to leave me. That truth makes all the difference. Even in
loneliness, I will not despair; my hope is secure in my Savior.
sincerely yours,
sincerely yours,
Katie
Sandy
