ARE YOU OVERWHELMED WITH LONELINESS?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear
a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel”,
which is translated, “God with us”.
(Matthew 1:23)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever felt like you were all alone? It’s a feeling that anyone
can have at any time, even when we are with a group of friends. We
may want to talk to someone about our feelings of loneliness, but due
our emotional state, we think that no one else would be interested.

When we are consumed with a feeling of loneliness, it can cause us
to be jealous of others when we see them enjoying their time with
others, but we are not.

What causes these feelings of loneliness;  
of being on an island…by yourself…all alone?
    – It could be the result of events that have happened in your life.
    – It could be the result of the actions and words of others.
    – It could be the lack of encouragement when you really needed it.
    – It could be caused by the pressure you feel
      from your job, or in managing a family.
    – It could be some kind of chemical imbalance,
      or the side effects of some medicine.
    – It could be the devastating impact caused
      by hurtful words from a friend, or family member.
    – It could be from feelings of a broken relationship with the Lord.

The truth is, we might not be able to pinpoint the cause, but when
we are experiencing loneliness, our greatest desire at the time is to
get rid of the feeling. And if we don’t, we discover that it continues
to grow and increase our feelings of loneliness. If you’ve been there,
then you know the debilitating impact it can have on your emotions
and self-esteem.

For non-believers, it can be a very tough road to travel. It can cause
them to become hopeless and feel there is no end in sight. However,
for believers, the scriptures assure us that we are never fully alone.
No matter what is going on in our lives, the Lord is always with us
(He is Immanuel – which means “God with us”). What a comforting
and encouraging assurance that we are not, and never will be, alone!

When we need encouragement, He is there!
When we need advice and guidance, He is there!
When we need comforting, He is there!
When we need peace, He is there!
When we need joy, He is there!
When we are stressed out, He is there!
When we are sad, He is there!
When we are joyful, He is there!
When we are sick, He is there!
When we need healing, He is there!
When we are in an emotional valley, He is there!
When we can’t feel His presence, He is there!
When we need to share our innermost feelings, He is there!
No matter where we are, or what’s going on in our lives, or
what needs we have, He is there!

In Hebrews, we are told:
    Keep your lives free from the love of money and be
    content with what you have, because God has said,
    “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
    (Hebrews 13:5)

Aren’t you grateful that “He is there”? Do you express your
appreciation (to Him) for His presence (with you at all times)?
Do you spend time enjoying His presence through worship,
Bible study, and prayer?

We can gravitate toward our earthly friends, can’t we? As
believers, we should also have a desire to spend more time
with our heavenly friend, the Lord.

In Proverbs we are told:
    Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck, write them
    on the tablet of your heart.
    (Proverbs 3:3)

When we heed the advice from God’s Word to allow love and
faithfulness to permeate our lives, we will have a natural desire
to spend more time with the Lord, and to express our love for
Him, to Him.

Others may desert or ignore us when we are lonely, but Jesus
went to the cross for us, even though we were sinners and far
from Him at the time. He showed us how to deal with feelings
of loneliness when He hung on the cross for us.

Jesus was alone, in pain, and dying for those who loved Him, for
those who ignored Him, and for those who hated Him. While He,
the Son of God was on the cross, He cried out,
“My God, why have You forsaken me?”
    About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a
    loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[c] lema sabachthani?” (which
    means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
    (Matthew 27:46)

There have been many opinions as to why He cried out to God,
the Father. We know that Jesus is divine, but at the time, He was
also human. He may have cried out so we would know that He
was experiencing the worst feeling of loneliness we could ever
imagine.

He not only felt deserted by many, but He also felt the absence of
almighty God. So, how did He respond to His overwhelming pain
(both physically and emotionally)? He cried out to the only one who
knew of the severity of His suffering, and the only one who could
help Him in His time of need.

Could it be that Jesus was still teaching us while He was dying? Was
He reminding us that whenever we are overwhelmed with anything
(including loneliness), we should always cry out to God? How did
God respond to the cries of Jesus? God brought an end to the pain
and emotional loneliness Jesus was experiencing.
    And when Jesus had cried out again
    in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
    (Matthew 27:50)

Does that mean God will end our feelings of loneliness through death?
No, it means He will provide us with whatever we need for relief. Jesus
was already dying, so God hastened His death because that’s what He
needed at the time. However, we are all living, so God can provide us
with relief from our problems by giving us a new purpose for living.

With His positive impact on our lives, we can change our focus from
the negativity of loneliness, to the joy of a new relationship with our
Lord (our friend at all times). Is there any better way for us to defeat
the painful impact of loneliness in our lives?
    I no longer call you servants, because a servant does
    not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called
    you friends, for everything that I learned from my
    Father I have made known to you.
    (John 15:15)

Even though Jesus knew many had turned their backs to Him in His
time of loneliness, He still endured the cross for them. Why? Because
He loves us and He knows the potential of every individual to turn
around, face Him, repent, and become an adopted member of His family.

That’s what we do when we are saved, isn’t it? We make a 180 degree
turn and instead of facing the world, we rotate and face the Lord. We
turn away from the things that attract us in a negative way (which can
cause us to sin), and turn to the One who will impact our lives both now,
and for eternity.

Throughout the scriptures we see that when we are instructed to
turn AWAY from one thing, we are encouraged to turn TOWARD
something much better (better for us, and better for our relationship
with the Lord). We might think one thing is good, but He ‘always’
has something much better for us!

To paraphrase, we are told:
    “Stop doing the things that lure you away from the
      Lord, and start doing the things that will create joy
      in your life, so you will be glad to be in His presence
      and enjoy the blessings He has for you”.

When we embrace these instructions, we will become more
aware of His presence, and we will be able to cope with any
times of loneliness we might have. Why? Because we know
our Immanuel Lord is with us!

ACTION:
Whenever our life seems hectic and stressful, we need to
remember the birth of Immanuel (“God with us”). It is
not just a “catchy” phrase, but it is our assurance that
He will always be with us in our time(s) of need.

During those times when we are overwhelmed with feelings of
loneliness, we need to remember that God has given His Holy
Spirit, to live in the hearts and minds of believers. The Spirit
is our comforter, encourager, counselor and friend (He sincerely
cares about you and me)!

If the Lord is not a part of your life, don’t you think you should
consider including Him now? We can trust the Bible as truth, so
we should spend time reading it, then listening and responding to
the way it speaks to our hearts.

When we admit our sins, believe that Jesus died to pay the debt we
owe, ask for His forgiveness, and commit to turning FROM our sins
and turning TOWARD Him, then we can receive salvation.

After we have been rescued by the Lord, we can start living a new life
with confidence that when feelings of loneliness arise, we can call on the
Lord (Immanuel) because He is always “with us”. Jesus understands the
emotional pain of loneliness because He experienced it Himself. He also
knows exactly what we need whenever we feel lonely.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the birth of Jesus.
Thank You for the example He gave me for following,
worshipping, and obeying You. Thank You for Your
assurance that He is always with me. Thank You for
revealing to me that no matter how lonely the world
might make me feel, I will always have Your Holy Spirit
with me, as my friend. Help me to make a committed
decision to spend more time with You, so I can develop
a greater sense of Your presence. Thank You for loving
me even though I can be unlovable at times. Thank You
for the way Your Word encourages me to follow You more
each day. Forgive me for the sinful areas of my life that
prevent me from turning fully toward You. I want to make
a complete turn toward You, so that even though I’m living
in a sinful world, I can be encouraged as long as my focus
remains on You.”

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