“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28
Loneliness is a very difficult thing.
Whether we are single, married, young or old, loneliness is something we all experience or have experienced (to some degree). I believe loneliness is much more than just a mental or emotional issue. I believe the Bible tells us it’s a spiritual issue, also.
Back in the Garden, Adam wasn’t lonely. He was in communion with God. Then, God went above and beyond to make sure Adam wouldn’t be lonely and created for him a helper — Eve. But, on that day when Adam first sinned, his life changed. He experienced loneliness for the first time, in a spiritual sense; he was cut off from God. For the first time, Adam experienced the dark cloud in his heart of being spiritually alone and feeling far from God.
Christian, have you ever felt lonely, isolated, or forgotten by God? Maybe from the effects of sin or from an unfortunate situation? Maybe things aren’t even that bad, yet you still just feel sort of…. empty? Lately, I’ve been wrestling with feelings of loneliness more than ever before. (Yes, even as a pastor, there are days that I feel quite alone!)
There are some days when a few good friends and some fresh air don’t really cut it. There are times where I’m left feeling like I still need something more. Loneliness is a true reminder of how deeply we need a Savior.
Like Adam, we are fallen, fearful, and forgotten. But, in the Second Adam (Jesus), we get reconciliation, relationship and relief. We have been redeemed and we can cry out for relief to the One who can perfectly sympathize with us in our weakness and loneliness. By belonging to Jesus, we have been promised something that’s far better than anything this broken world can offer us. We have the unshakable joy of being with God forever. He has promised to return for us. Jesus has promised to bring heaven with Him and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no more sorrow, pain, or loneliness anymore.
So, when our loneliness screams “HELP” and isolates us to feeling like we’ve been “forgotten”, where can we go? We need to run to Jesus because He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Christian, you have not been forgotten.
Not alone,
Bryan
Posted in A Word from the Pastor