Only The Lonely

I can't speak for everyone, but it seems the darkest periods in my life were when I was at my loneliest. It's a
funny thing, loneliness. Okay, maybe not "ha ha" funny, but it's strange. You can be surrounded -- even by friends -- and still feel a deep longing and sadness. Nearly my entire Sophomore year in college was marked by this sort of inexplicable depression. I had friends -- great friends! I belonged. And yet, I was lonely.

I've looked back on this period in my life often, with great curiosity. It took me until years later to realize that the enemy -- Satan -- will use whatever arrows are in his quiver to keep you from doing as God desires. If you allow him, he will whisper in your ear tales of worthlessness and friendlessness, doubts about the friends you have, questions about your value to others. And when you listen, that loneliness creeps in, slowly at first, and building into something almost intolerable. It's broken many, and still more will walk with a spiritual limp as a reminder of the struggle.

By the grace of God, I remain unbroken, and most days the limp is barely noticeable. There are days, to be sure, when a shadow of doubt will still creep in. As my arthritic knees -- constant reminders of an injury in my youth -- will creak and ache on humid days, so my limping soul will under certain conditions begin to seize and groan with the memory of past hurt.

But we're not alone. No matter what the Devil is whispering in our ears, no matter how bleak our lives can look while we're in the midst of a sea of self-doubt, our God is standing with His hands reaching out. Just as He reached for Peter when his doubt caused him to sink in the raging waters, He grasps our hands and waits for us to refocus on Him and climb back to His level.

Psalm 34:18 reminds us "God is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Who is hurting in your life? Is there one who is lonely or brokenhearted? We -- you and I -- are the arms of Christ. The physical manifestation of His love for His children.

James 1:27 reminds us that the very essence of religion is ministry to the lonely.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

We are never alone. When we are at our loneliest, the enemy says nobody cares. But it's a lie.  You have value. You have value to God, and you have value to those around you. Don't believe the words of an enemy who wants to see you fall. Believe instead the words of the God who made you, who loves you, and who can't wait to have you by His side.