busyness of life can interfere with
taking time for friendships.
One meaning of the word solitary
in Psalm 68:6 is “forsaken.” This is
something Jesus experienced, and
so He understands our emotions
(Hebrews 4:15). At His darkest hour,
one disciple betrayed Him and
the other eleven forsook Him. The
apostle Paul also faced this. He tells
us, “At my first answer no man stood
with me, but all men forsook me”
(II Timothy 4:16).
The Lord can use our loneliness to
draw us closer to Him. He has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). We are
never alone when we know Him. a
For additional study:
nn Deuteronomy 31:6
nn Joshua 1:5
nn Isaiah 41:10
nn Matthew 28:20
nn I Peter 5:7
Mary Loudermilk
considers chocolate
and ice cream as
basic food groups to
be enjoyed and
shared with friends. She values
time spent studying, teaching,
and writing about God’s Word.
Making It
Personal
nn What things or events in your
life make you feel lonely?
nn Have you ever felt forsaken?
How did you respond?
nn Does your loneliness draw
you closer to God or pull you
farther away?
nn When you feel lonely, what do
you do to connect with others?
Or do you just wait for someone
to come to you?
nn Do you think social media
makes us feel more or less
lonely?
Ways to Combat
Loneliness
nn Reach out. Find ways to bless or encourage someone else.
nn Be friendly. Fulfill Proverbs 18:24 and
others will respond.
nn Become involved with church activities
and fellowship with others (Hebrews
10:24-25; I John 1:3).
nn Expand your interests. Take up a new
hobby, enroll in a class, or volunteer in
the community.
nn Develop a circle of friends and stay connected by phone or Internet. This can
help you to keep in touch with “back
home” or to encourage others who are
also lonely.
nn If your loneliness develops into serious
depression, seek counseling.
Mar/Apr 2014 • Reflections 23