How can God help me with my loneliness?
Psalm 23:4Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
Psalm 27:10Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.
Psalm 139:17How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
Being lonely does not mean we are unlovable or deficient. God values us, loves us, and promises never to leave us.
1 Kings 19:4Then he [Elijah] went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
Exodus 5:22-23Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!”
Loneliness can lead us into discouragement, despair, and temptation. Don’t give up on God when you are lonely. Be careful not to distance yourself from the One who wants to be with you always.
1 Kings 19:10Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
Matthew 11:2-3John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”
1 Peter 4:19So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
Sometimes we may feel alone in our stand for God. We may even struggle with doubt like Elijah and John the Baptist. Find strength in knowing there are others who are equally committed and that God rewards our bold commitment to him.
Daniel 1:3The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives.
Daniel 6:10When Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.
Daniel had been taken from his country and his family. Following God put him at greater risk for persecution. Yet Daniel prayed regularly—not only for help, but out of thankfulness. No matter what we have lost, and no matter what pressures weigh on us, we too can be thankful for God’s presence in our lives.
Hebrews 10:25Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Romans 12:5We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
The best way to avoid loneliness is to meet together with other believers. Get involved in a local church. Get busy with God’s people doing God’s work.
Deuteronomy 31:6“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Isaiah 41:10“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
John 14:1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
Loneliness can cause us to be afraid, and that fear can drive us deeper into isolation. Reminding ourselves that God is with us and fighting for us can help calm our fears.
Genesis 40:23“Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer. And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place.” . . . Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.
Exodus 6:12“But Lord!” Moses objected. “My own people won’t listen to me anymore.”
Deuteronomy 33:27“The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you.”
Psalm 27:10Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.
Psalm 147:3He [the Lord] heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
Proverbs 18:24There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.
Hebrews 13:5God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Sometimes, people we depend on desert us, abandon us, or turn away from us. Each of us may only have a few people we can truly count on—at times, we may not have any. But we can always count on God; he will never abandon us.
