I Am Lonely; God Is Present!

August 22, 2024

I Am Lonely; God Is Present!

When I was in high school, most of my friends were in their 30’s and 40’s.  My friends were the people with whom I worked.  Although I had no friends at school, there were a couple of friends in the small youth group at my church.  It was a lonely time.

When I was in college, I did not hang out on campus for much of anything except going to classes, studying in the library, and attending Husker football games.  The rest of the time, I was living off campus and working a full-time job to pay for my college tuition.  There was little to no time for friends.  It was a lonely time.

I chose to attend graduate school a long way from home.  Although I had several roommates, they were not really friends.  However, the good news is I did have three guys who became very dear friends during those four years in Dallas.  I had never before experienced friendship in that way.

Then, I moved to a very small town (1,000 population) in the panhandle of Nebraska.  I did not know anyone and there were very few people my age.  Again, it was a season in which I had few, if any, friends.  For a while (not the entire time!), it was a lonely time.

Three years ago my wife and I retired and moved to a place where we did not know anyone.  Well, we did know the person who sold us our house and the contractor who re-modeled our house.  At first, it was a lonely time. 

Because we did not yet have any friends in this new place, there were days when I was lonely.  Although we are making new friends, there are still some days when I am lonely.

The loneliness today reminds me of my high school and college days.  The occasional day when I feel lonely now reminds me of moving to a small farm town in northwestern Nebraska.  There are other times when a moment of loneliness reminds me of the times when I felt betrayed or rejected or pushed to the side.  No matter how many friends or how near our family lives, I think we all occasionally feel lonely. 

I am lonely; God is present!

When I was in high school, I discovered that Jesus was more than my creator, my savior, and my rock.  The Holy Spirit taught me that Jesus was also my friend.  I remember Jesus’ statement in John 15:15; “I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” 

Friendship is based on trust and love and common experiences/interests.  Friendship is also based on being present; i.e., being near, being close, being known.  Jesus promises to be always present. 

In Matthew 28:20 Jesus says; “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

In Joshua 1:9 the Lord God says; “I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

“I am with you…wherever you go” is a promise that a true friend makes.  There is a commitment to be with you no matter where you go or what you do.  There is a commitment to be close to you all the way to the end of your life.

You are lonely; God is present!

We all know someone that is struggling with loneliness right now.  They may already have you as a friend or you may have noticed from a distance that they seem to have few, if any, friends.  They are looking for something with which you can provide some guidance.

I challenge you to take a chance by inviting them to share a meal with you.  Jesus often invited people who were lonely to eat with Him.  Jesus often invited people who were sad or discouraged or afraid to eat with Him.  Jesus often shared meals with people He knew and with people He did not know.  While sharing a meal, lives were changed. 

I encourage you to extend an invitation to eat together and see what the Holy Spirit might do to relieve some of that person’s feelings of loneliness.  Take the opportunity to remind them that God is present, Jesus is their friend, and the Spirit will never, ever leave them.

When we reach out to a person who is feeling lonely, we have an opportunity to share the promise of Jesus’ friendship with them.  When we help a person who is lonely discover friendship in Jesus, hearts will be filled with delight in what Jesus will do in the midst of their loneliness. 

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug