Sabbath Psalms - Only the Lonely

Psalm 148:18 The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. (NIV)                     

Like everyone else, I experience loneliness from time to time. It’s an odd feeling, especially when it occurs in a crowded room or when I’m with a small company of friends. I get lost in my own thoughts and feel isolated from everything or everyone around me. I know I can be a distant introvert at times, but loneliness goes beyond that. I feel as though I’m missing something or someone in my life and that there is some sort of primeval emptiness or existential gap.

Some theologians would say that I’m actually missing God and that the loneliness in my life exists because I’m really longing to be reconnected to my Creator. The chasm that exists between us makes me feel isolated and vulnerable, unprotected and all alone. I can’t do anything to mend the breach or bridge the gap, so I’m stuck on this side of eternity, missing my Maker and feeling forsaken.

And then something amazing happens. As I call out to God in prayer, His presence fills my heart. As I reach out to God like a child holding out hands to a parent, I am suddenly lifted up spiritually and embraced by God. The loneliness lifts and my isolation ends. I am restored to God’s favor and reconnected to His love. What the psalmist wrote all of those centuries ago turns out to be true: God comes near to all who call on Him.

Perhaps you’re feeling lonely, too. Maybe you’ve lost your confidence or purpose and end up feeling isolated, misunderstood, or even unloved. Whatever the case, please call on the Lord, even as you are reading this short message. If you do, then I firmly believe that God will draw near to you and allow His presence to touch your mind, heart, and soul with His love.

Point to ponder: When I feel lonely, do I talk to God? When I talk to God, does my loneliness lift?

Prayer: Lord God, when we experience loneliness or isolation, allow us the comfort of Your presence. Keep us from feeling forsaken and bring us closer to You. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Daily Devotions: Being Bold - Mark 1:40-45

Mark 1:40       A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

I think I read somewhere that there are 300,000 new cases of leprosy each year in the world and that most of these illnesses occur in the poorest parts of the planet. Towards the end of January in Scotland, a lot of churches have a special offering for the Leprosy Mission, which was established in the 19^th century. Its sole purpose is to help those who have contracted the disease, as well as supporting their families.

In Christ’s time, leprosy was deemed as a punishment from God and lepers were outcasts. They could not approach their families and friends directly for help because people were afraid of catching the disease. So the lepers lived outside of city walls, towns, and villages and were dependent upon charitable donations of food, which their relatives left at certain predetermined places. Physical contact like hugging was prohibited, so lepers were completely isolated from their loved ones.

In today’s passage, the leper who comes before Jesus is doing a bold thing and is making an outrageous request. He is bold because he leaves his designated place of isolation and breaks the community quarantine. His request is outrageous because only God can heal a sinful leper; at this point the people thought that Jesus was just a local preacher and exorcist. To ask Jesus to heal leprosy was a major leap of faith, for it meant that the leper was equating Christ with God Himself.

The leper also doesn’t presume to be healed. He places himself in Christ’s hands. “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” The leper has faith in Christ’s power to heal, but he puts the burden on Jesus to do something about it. Christ can do this, but only if He wants to heal the man.

The good news is that the leper’s bold and outrageous request is fulfilled. Jesus is willing to heal the man and make him clean.

Sometimes we want to change things about our lives and we need Jesus to help us.  We suffer from the emotional leprosies of bitterness and anger, fear and anxiety. These things separate us from God, our loved ones, and our friends. We need Christ to heal us from within and to restore us to our relationships. The challenge that faces us today is this: are we willing to boldly and outrageously ask Christ to clean our hearts and minds, as well as our bodies and souls?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, sometimes we isolate ourselves from our loved ones, our churches, and our communities because we allow resentment and hurt, insecurity and anxiety to overwhelm our emotions and ruin our relationships. The leprosy of loneliness overshadows our souls and we feel so alone. Come among us today and heal our hearts, mend our minds, and restore our souls to God. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.