Have you ever felt desperately alone, even though you were surrounded by co-workers, family, friends, or your Christian Faith family? It’s not always the absence of people that makes you feel alone, but the absence of understanding your needs and what you are going through.
Sometimes it may be the absence of affirmation or the shame of failure that isolates your heart from connection with other people.
There are times when you are literally alone . . . right before bedtime when the house is silent as a tomb and you long for the laughter of a child in the next room or the warm embrace of someone who loves you . . . in the middle of the night when you are wakened by a terrifying nightmare . . . in the early morning when you are greeted with the sounds of silence once again . . . in the church service as you cry silently while no one seems to notice . . . in a crowded court room where the players strategize how to rip your world apart and redistribute the pieces of your life.
In all of your lonely moments, God is there. He is there when you feel inadequate and empty. He loves you even when you can’t return His love, when you are so emotionally depleted that you don’t feel anything.
He forgives you when you fail miserably, when you try to work out your own plan instead of relying on Him to help you.
He wants you to know that you will never have to be alone again.
God has a message for you today: "Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
No matter where you live, whether it be in the finest mansion or in a cardboard box in a dark alley, God is with you.
Regardless of what you have done, whether you have lived a life of integrity or whether your life has been one colossal failure after another, God is with you. He loves you and wants to restore you to the life He envisioned for you when you were just a gleam in your father’s eye.
Jeremiah was a prophet in the Old Testament who struggled with despair and loneliness. When he saw the devastation, darkness, and despair all around him, Jeremiah found comfort in God’s promise to be with him. Listen to the voice of Jeremiah as he remembered God’s faithfulness:
"Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul. Therefore, I hope in Him." (Lamentations 3:22-24)
"I called on Your name, O Lord, from the lowest pit. You have heard my voice. Do not hide your ear from my sighing, from my cry for help. You drew near on the day I called on You, and said ‘Do not fear.’ O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul. You have redeemed my life." (Lam. 3:55-58)
Are you living at Jeremiah’s old address—the lowest pit? If so, God hears your most desperate sigh and says, "Don’t be afraid. I am with you. I will redeem you."
Refocus your gaze from the hopeless bottom of the pit to the strong arms of the Lord who will hold you close through the worst life storms and help you relocate to a new address (out of the pit) where you will grow and thrive.
In John 14 Jesus told his disciples (and you today), "I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth. I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. When the Father sends the Counselor as my representative, He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you. I am leaving you with a gift— peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid." (New Living Translation)
You never have to be alone again! God has provided a way for you through a relationship with Himself and other people. You do not have to stay disconnected and alone. Here are some practical ways to overcome feelings of loneliness:
•Tell God how you feel, even if you know you shouldn’t be feeling that way. When you are honest with your feelings, God is free to work in your life.
•Remind yourself of God’s presence, even if you don’t feel it, by reading scriptures (especially in Psalms) and remembering God’s faithfulness in the past. He has not moved away from you. Is it possible you have moved away from Him?
•Ask God to help you know Him in a way you’ve never known before. Develop a deeper relationship with Him through a daily time of meditation in the Word and communication in prayer and thanksgiving.
•Think of someone else who may be lonely that you can reach out to. Make a phone call, take someone out to dinner, visit a senior citizen, offer to babysit for a busy mom, volunteer at your favorite charity, etc.
•Get involved in a Bible study, support group, exercise class, or take a class that interests you at your local community center or college.
•If you have a close friend, stay in touch on a regular basis. If you don’t have a close friend, ask the Lord to guide you to someone with whom you could develop a friendship, and take the first step by inviting them to lunch or volunteering to help in some way.
God is with you . . . He loves you . . . He forgives you . . . He has redeemed you . . .
He will restore you. You never have to be alone again!
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Focus Ministries has published a book:
I hope this resource helps in your education of domestic abuse and the church.
Domestic abuse, domestic violence, emotional abuse, Focus Ministries, forgiveness, headship, invalidation, martial abuse, Poem, religious abuse, Remorse, repentance, submission, verbal abuse,
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