Have you ever felt gripped by loneliness? Loneliness is a very normal feeling. In fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus experienced what it was like to be alone during His earthly ministry. Alone, Jesus was left to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, for His disciples wouldn't even stay awake to pray with Him in His greatest time of need (Matt. 26:40-45). Alone, He faced His accusers who sought to put Him to death, and His disciples denied they even knew Him (Luke 22:54-62). Alone, He bore the full weight of the sins of the world. God, our Father, turned His back on Him, forsook Him as part of His Divine Judgement (Matt. 27:46). Yes, Jesus empathizes with you and is always working to fill up your loneliness feelings with His Living presence, through the indwelling Holy Spirit. He's always with you!
Let's face it, loneliness is on the rise in our society. Even though technological advances make communicating easier, more and more people feel left out; as though they have no friends; they feel like they're not " an important person" in anyone else's life. Dismal, contorted emotions and feeling shut-away from people can breed some serious health concerns.
Look, when it comes to a caring Christian community (like here at Suncreek) no one should feel alone. God never intended that we feel cut off, alienated and lonely, for "it is not good for man to be alone" (Gen: 2:18). It's why God created earthly and spiritual communities: Psalm 68:6 says , "God sets the lonely in families".
Scripture - Heb 13:5 "...I will never leave you, nor forsake you".
Meditate: Find ways to do face-to-face time with someone you know who looks or feels lonely. Look around, give of yourself and draw them into our family. For those lonely, take risks of being a friend to others. God's love has no bounds!
