You Are Never Alone

Reflect on God’s Word

When you’re lost in the dark caverns of loneliness, it’s easy to believe that you are alone and will always be alone, that you will always strain your eyes looking for a glimmer of light. You can easily believe that your suffering is meaningless and that your pain will keep you isolated forever.

But that’s not the truth! God is always with you, and he is ready to comfort you.

When you are afflicted by loneliness, ponder these truths from Psalm 139:1–12:

You have searched me, LORD,

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

you, LORD, know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are

there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

There’s a big word that’s used to describe this: omnipresent. Everywhere at one time. Isaiah 57:15 (ESV) says, “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”

See yourself in your darkest moments and see God there with you. He himself says that he dwells with those who are humble and brought low. He revives their spirits and their hearts.

Think about your life and imagine God with you in every moment and every place. See yourself far away from everything you know and everyone you love. See God holding you even there. See yourself in the darkest place, and see God there, too, unafraid of the dark, shining his light on you.

Sometimes children who have no siblings will invent an imaginary friend. They play with that friend, have conversations with that friend, go everywhere with that friend right by their side. Sometimes we can feel like God is an imaginary friend because we can’t see him. We can’t feel his touch or hear his voice with our ears. It can begin to feel like he’s not really there.

But faith is the assurance of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Even when we don’t see God, he’s there. Picture the trees blowing in the wind, their leaves fluttering and flying. You don’t see the wind, but you see the effects of the wind, so you know it’s there. We can’t physically see gravity, but we feel its effects every day, especially when you drop something breakable on a tile floor. You don’t think, “Oh, why did that happen?” You know it was because of gravitational pull.

The effects of God’s presence with you are seen in the peace he gives you when you turn to him in prayer. They’re seen in the provision of nature that speaks his name. Psalm 19:1 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Beauty, laughter, nature—all these things can remind you of the nearness of God.

When loneliness hits and you want to believe that you’re all alone, turn to the God who is near. His Spirit is living within you. Jesus himself told his disciples, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16–17).

You truly are never alone.

Release Your Loneliness

Now take a deep breath and slowly exhale. As you continue to practice breathing slowly and deeply, pay attention to your body, noticing where your sadness or loneliness has been residing. Where are you weighed down? In your shoulders, your chest, your back? Inhale into that part of your body, and as you exhale, feel yourself lighten a little. Let your breath comfort you.

It’s okay to feel lonely. So in this moment, don’t deny how you feel or try to pretend your way out of loneliness. Don’t try to hide your feelings from God. Admit your deepest feelings to him and ask him to meet you in them, to reveal himself to you in them. Go outside at night and look at the stars, or during the day let the beauty of nature reflect to you the goodness of God.

Make it a point to see the effects of God’s presence. How is he moving in the world right around you? And then see how he’s moving in the world at large. Let that remind you of God’s omnipresence. He is everywhere at one time, and he is with you all the time.

Can you let go of the lies that want to trap you today? Refuse to believe that God doesn’t care. Refuse to believe that you are alone. Instead, hold on to these great, unchanging truths: God is with you; God loves you; God will comfort you in your loneliness.

Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows, thank you for being with me in the darkness of my loneliness. I know that the darkness is not dark to you. I know that you can see me wherever I am and however I feel. Help me even in my loneliness to feel your presence and your comfort. Help me turn my eyes on you so I can see all you are doing in my life. Thank you for your love and presence in my life. I have faith that you are there even when I can’t see you. I will hold your hand. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

JOURNAL PROMPT: How can you remind yourself of God’s presence when you find yourself feeling lonely? List some specific actions you can take, like taking a walk and praising God for his presence in creation or reading stories of his presence to others in the Bible.