The Bible speaks of being alone in two different ways.
One denotes loneliness and the other refers to living al-one with our Father God
(John 16:32). We can experience both at the same time, or one without the
other.
God realized that loneliness had an adverse effect on the
human soul (Genesis 2:18). He created us for companionship. Have you ever tried
to scratch an itch in the middle of your back? We need each other.
Even in a crowd of people, we can suffer loneliness,
because it is a state of mind, rather than a physical issue. It is a aching void deep within our soul.
Loneliness causes us to feel isolated, dejected,
abandoned, unimportant, unloved and even hopeless. We want to hide under the
covers, ignore our responsibilities and vegetate.
Loneliness affects us mentally, emotionally, spiritually
and physically. We actually believe that no one cares about what happens to us,
unless we realize that God continually cares for us (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22).
Aloneness is quite different than loneliness. We all need
time to be alone. This helps us to get in touch with our inner self, to
ascertain our needs, to get to the root of any negative emotions and to
maintain our union with Christ (Colossians 1:27, 3:3-4; Galatians 2:20; Hebrews
3:14).
In times of solitude, we recharge our psychological,
physical and spiritual batteries to have the energy to continue to minister for
the Lord as His Spirit directs (Ephesians 2:10).
Times of solitude refresh us and prepare us to hear from
God each moment of the day (Psalm 95:7; Hebrews 3:7-8). Al-one times require
quiet, private and peaceful surroundings.
We listen with our spiritual ears (Matthew 11:15; Mark
4:9). The presence of God infiltrates our spirit, soul and body. We are one
with God and enjoy His companionable silence (John 10:27-28).
Once we enter God's sanctuary within our spirit, we
realize the futility of our temporal existence and begin to pursue eternal
endeavors instead (Psalm 73). Al-one times help us to maintain a spiritual
focus throughout our life.
Prayer:
Father God, our disheartened soul takes comfort in Your
continual presence within. We meditate on Your Word and follow Your precepts
each step of our life. Thank You for Your blessings and abundant provision of
all of our needs.
We trust that You will continue to perfect us until
Christ returns (Philippians 1:6). We have abundant assurance that You will keep
all of Your promises to Your Saints (Romans 4:21). Teach us that loneliness is
our choice. Remind us to spend al-one times with You, and we will never
experience debilitating isolation, but restful solitude instead.
Thought for the Day:
As we traverse the moments of each day and face the
issues of life, we function from our spirit, rather than our soul. This enables
us to continually meditate on the goodness of God and the Truth of His Word, as
we follow His Spirit's direction to accomplish His will.
