In Times of Loneliness and Despair

We read in Genesis 1:27 that God created man in His own image.  As we look at Genesis 2:18, we see that God said, "It is not good that man should be alone, I will make him a helper comparable to him."  According to the commentary from the Spirit Filled New Life Bible, "'Comparable to him' denotes complementarity. The needed help is for daily work, procreation, and mutual support through companionship." Because of this, God created Eve.  Revelation 4:11 tells us that God created man for His pleasure.  God fellowshipped with Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the day, where Adam recognized the Lord's voice. (Genesis 3:8-10) We were created to fellowship and interact with God and one another.

The whole world has been thrown into an upheaval because of the Covid-19 pandemic.  With this pandemic, has come governmental and health agency restrictions which have forced people to be alone in many instances.  There has been a forced isolation from family members, church families, friends, co-workers, and the public in general.

I believe that for man, loneliness is one of the greatest challenges being experienced today.  Loneliness though, is not the only result of this isolation we social beings are facing.  Loneliness leads to myriad negative emotions.  When we add family members who were not allowed to say goodbye to passing loved ones because of quarantines, the closing of businesses, loss of jobs, and shortages in retail supplies, the emotional turmoil took a big up-tick.  For those in the United States, we have seen the integrity of our election process become questionable, we watched the government let anarchy rule in various cities, and now­­­­ we see decisions being made by government leaders which are systematically destroying our nation.  Also, for those of us who are believers in the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God, we sense the inevitable judgment of God coming to our sinful nation.  People are wondering and fearful of what is next.  The enemy, satan, is attacking in every possible way, and many are experiencing great loneliness, discouragement, despondency, fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and even despair.

If you identify as one of the ones struggling with these feelings, realize that none of these emotions we are experiencing are new!  In fact, today, I want us to look at some of those in God's Word who experienced these same emotions.

Elijah - After Jezebel threatened his life, we read in 1 Kings 19:3-10, "And when he saw [Jezebel's threat], he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."

Job expresses his misery in Job 3:11, "Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?" and Job 30:15-17, "Terrors are turned upon me; They pursue my honor as the wind, and my prosperity has passed like a cloud. 16 "And now my soul is poured out because of my plight; The days of affliction take hold of me. 17 My bones are pierced in me at night, and my gnawing pains take no rest."

Jonah - We read of Jonah's reaction when God relented from the disaster He said He would bring upon the Ninevites , before they repented.  Jonah 4:1 and 3, "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. ... 3 "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!"

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet is in despair because no one heeds his warning.  Jeremiah 20:14 and 18, "Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me! ... 18 Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?"

Solomon - who experienced everything his wealth could buy and yet, thought it better to be dead, or better yet, never born.  Here are his words in Ecclesiastes 4:1-4, "Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun: And look! The tears of the oppressed, but they have no comforter--on the side of their oppressors there is power, but they have no comforter. 2 Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, more than the living who are still alive. 3 Yet, better than both is he who has never existed, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. 4 Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind."

To despair is to be without hope.  The word for 'hope' in the Old Testament means: an expectation, something yearned for and anticipated eagerly, and something for which one waits.  In the New Testament, the Greek word for 'hope' means: not wishful thinking without any foundation, but in the sense of confident expectation based on solid certainty.  There are times when our hope wanes.  Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick,"  Yet, the 'hope' we read about in the Bible rests on God's promises. Thank God, we read in 2 Corinthians 1:20, "For all the promises of God in [Jesus] are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."

Despondency is a loss of courage or hope.  Hopelessness is having no expectation of, or showing no sign of a favorable outcome, or a sense of futility.

The Psalmist (King David) often felt alone and in despair when being pursued by his enemies.  Psalm 25:16 and 17 reads, "Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted.. 17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses!"

We know that even Jesus was greatly distressed when, prior to His crucifixion, He prayed in the garden.  Matthew 26:37 and 38, "And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."  Then,  in Dr. Luke's account in Luke 22:44, it is recorded that Jesus was so distressed, "His sweat became like great drops of blood."

The most important take away from each one of these examples is that their hope was fixed of God and He carried them through.

Since our hope rests in the promises of God, our solutions for overcoming these negative emotions are found in the Word of God.  We need to encourage ourselves daily with His Word.  Remember, God created us to fellowship with Himself.  We accomplish that by hearing Him speak to us through His Word and by our speaking to Him through prayer.  It is vital that we spend time with our Heavenly Father, just as we would with any other friend.

John 15:13-15, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."  I have found that putting a chair across from where I am sitting and using my spiritual imagination, I invite Jesus to sit in the chair, and have a conversation with Him.  For me, this has been a helpful exercise in learning to communicate with Him as a friend.

Proverbs 18:24, "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."  That friend is Jesus.

It is in reading and knowing the Scriptures that our hope and faith is built up.  I want to share some of those "faith building” scriptures now.

Hebrews 13:5b, "For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Matthew 28:20b, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."

Isaiah 41:10, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'"

Psalm 46:1-3, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah"  No matter how desperate things are or get, God is with us.

The question in Romans 8:35 is, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or peril, or sword?"  The answer to that question is found in John 10:27-30, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. 30 "I and My Father are one." Hallelujah!

We see an amazing truth in John 14:16 and 17, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."  God is not only with us always, He is in us and abides in us forever!

We are pilgrims and sojourners here on the Earth.  This is not our home.  However, until that day when He calls us home to be with Him for all of eternity, He has let us know, through His Word, that we need to fellowship with other believers.  The 'whys' of that fellowship are seen in the following Scriptures:

Hebrews 10:24 and 25, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting (strengthening or encouraging) one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

1 Thessalonians 5:11, "Therefore comfort each other and edify (build up) one another, just as you also are doing."

Acts 2:42, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."

The Lord knew the journey would be too difficult for us to travel alone.  There are four things that every believer needs: God, fellow believers (to comfort, exhort, encourage and pray for each other), to share God's love, and to know that we are not alone.  Do whatever you can to be a part of a family of believers.  If it is impossible for you to be a part of a physical church we still have phones and computers to stay in contact.

Paul, who faced unimaginable trials, tribulations, and distresses, instructed us in Philippians 4:8 to keep our minds on the right things.  He wrote, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." The Greek word for the phrase "good report" is euphemos, which is speech that is gracious, praiseworthy and fair-sounding.  It includes the avoidance of words of ill omen.  "Meditate" means: to think, to appraise logically consider or carefully think about.

2 Corinthians 10:5b tells us to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  That means that any idea (thought) that emerges that stands in opposition to the true knowledge of God needs to be rejected.

We need to always do as the author of Hebrews tells us in chapter 12: 2, "looking unto Jesus".  Jesus is our hope.  Hold on to Him because we see this truth proclaimed in Romans 5:5, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Do you find yourself in similar circumstances or experiencing the same emotions as those who have gone before?  We need to be like David, who in Psalm 31 laments saying, "Have mercy on me , O Lord, for I am in trouble...My life is spent with grief...I am like a broken vessel."  Then he states, "But, as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say "You are my God... My times are in Your hand... How great is Your goodness... Blessed be the Lord... The Lord preserves the faithful... He shall strengthen your heart.""

Are you struggling with burdens that are becoming so heavy that you feel you have no strength to carry on any longer?  Call out to God and reach out to fellow believers, with whom you can share the burden of your heart. Feel free to let me know how I can pray for you.  I would count it a privilege to lift you and your needs to our Father in prayer.