“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” Psalm 13:1
December 9, 2022
You know the feeling. It is a sense of being cut off from others. Primarily it is a matter of the mind, not geography. A longing for the company of others can create frustration and life in an echo chamber. Songs abound expressing a mood of dreariness, such as “All by Myself,” “Lonely Street,” “I Ain’t Got Nobody.” David sang and prayed his own version of the lonely blues. The two words, “How long,” say it all. One study Bible wraps it up: “The fourfold repetition expresses his anguish and frustration. God could resolve the issue in a moment but is letting it drag on.” God’s timing is not always the same as ours. Some studies are indicating that loneliness seems to be more widespread and intense in societies where the values of freedom and individuality are strongly promoted. What are God’s children to do about it? We can start where David did. He asks God to look on him and meet him in his need. Bound up in this request is the realization of an intimate relationship to God. Do we have that? This is not something just on paper. It is a matter of God being “my God” (v. 3). Do you need to come to God and remedy the basic problem of alienation from God because of sin. How awful it would be to step out into eternity in endless loneliness. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you have scores of promises that gather around. Start with “I will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth” (Jn. 14:16). Let loneliness move you to meditation and reflection. Take Psalm 31 and let it flood your thoughts. H
“Father, I am comforted by the Spirit’s abiding presence within me. Help me to comfort those who are lonely.”