What causes loneliness?

Exodus 2:15, 22Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. . . . Later she [Moses’s wife, Zipporah] gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he explained, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”

When we experience unfamiliar places, people, and situations, we often feel loneliness. Moses had to flee the only home he had ever known. Even after starting a family in the land of Midian, Moses named his first son Gershom, which means “a foreigner there.”

Ruth 1:5Both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.

Loneliness often comes after we lose a loved one.

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.”

Loneliness can come from feeling alone and unsupported in our beliefs and goals.

Genesis 37:28When the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.

Loneliness can come after betrayal.

Job 19:2“How long will you torture me? How long will you try to crush me with your words?”

Proverbs 16:28A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.

Harsh or deceptive words often create hurt and distrust, which leads to loneliness.

Genesis 3:7-8At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.

Guilt and shame can cause us to isolate from God and others. This ultimately leads to a deep loneliness.