Living with Loneliness

For some people, this is a very lonely time of year. The celebrations of Christmas have come and gone. New Year resolutions are beginning to fail, and the hopes of making a difference or being successful are starting to fade. Loneliness sets in and depression, like a creeping shadow, slowly overcomes some people.

Podcast version here

Finding God in loneliness can be hard at times. And yet the Bible is full of lonely people. Joseph is kidnapped and finds himself in a foreign land. Moses is exiled from his people until he is eighty. Ruth and Naomi feel abandoned by their community when their husbands die. David has to flee for safety and live in caves several times throughout his long life. Elijah is a fugitive and just wants to die because he is so lonely. Daniel is isolated in the lion’s den where no one can help him. Jesus gets so lonely at times, even in the midst of crowds, that He has to go off early in the morning to solitary places just to have some quiet time with God.

And how lonely must it have felt for Christ, when the whole world turned against Him and nailed Him to a cross of shame?


Verse of the Day


Psalm 118:29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.



Loneliness is a tough part of life and a hurting of the soul. A recent study suggests that people who are lonely, who feel disconnected to society, look to God for solace, friendship, and companionship. Perhaps they understand that loneliness and isolation will come to us all one day. Perhaps lonely people are one spiritual step ahead of the crowd, because they understand that in the end it’s our relationship with God that will eternally matter. And perhaps they know, in the midst of their hurt, disappointment, and loneliness that only God’s love endures forever.

In the midst of our busy, stressful lives, we should set aside sometime to be lonely – lonely and looking for God. Our loneliness can lead to faithfulness in a sacred way that only the lonely understand. Their loneliness can become a gift from a loving God, for better than others, they know that He will never abandon nor forsake them, nor will He ever stop loving them or let them go.

Prayer: O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee; I give Thee back the life I owe, that in Thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee

Daily Devotions: Rapanui or Easter Island

I’ve never been to Easter Island (or Rapanui as it is natively known), but like many people, I’m fascinated by the large stone faces that are found there. I think that they must be remarkable to look at, to touch and stand beside. The people who made them must have felt a similar awe as they were being created, erected, and worshipped.

I’ve watched documentaries about the stone faces and from what the archaeologists have pieced together, the history of the islanders appears to be tragic. The island isolated from the mainland by thousands of miles, so the original Rapanui settlers must have landed there by accident. At first there was enough food, water, and shelter to help them survive for generations. But then, because of the rising population, the island became depleted of valuable resources. It was during this time that the stone faces were built, probably because the islanders needed divine help to survive.

Eventually, all that was left on the island were the stone faces. Most of the islanders had either left to find a new place to live or they perished at sea. Very little of them remained on the island. It’s a sad story and a great mystery. All that we have left of the people are their idols and rock drawings. No matter how big, how wonderful, or how awesome they made their idols, their false gods could not help the islanders. All that work and worship did them no good.

In 1722, on Easter, the island was rediscovered by a Dutchman called Jacob Roggeveen. The island population which had numbered more than fifteen thousand was reduced to only a couple of hundred. But the rediscovery brought a new hope and new connections for the people. Today, over 2500 Rapanui people inhabit the island, making a sustainable living from the tourist industry.

It seems that ‘Easter’ was a favorable name to give to the island, for the once isolated people have experienced a resurrection of hope for their community. Idol worship has been replaced by Christianity, and missionaries have planted churches where the people can now serve the One, True and Living God.

Jeremiah 16:19 O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say,” Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good.

We all can make worthless idols in our lives. If we get obsessed with money or the markets, possessions or positions, pride or ambition, we create esteemed images of ourselves that are false and finite. No man is an island, but we can isolate ourselves from God if we separate our hearts from Him. The biblical injunctions of not creating idols for ourselves are just as relevant in today’s distracting world as they were thousands of years ago. By placing our lives in Christ’s hands and giving our hearts to Him, we avoid such foolish ideals and false idols.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, enable us to keep You in our hearts and to focus upon Your Kingdom. Free us from the false gods of luxury and power, ambition and greed. Help us to follow Your words and ways, so that we can remain faithful and loyal to You throughout our lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Devotional: Seeing Jesus - the work of the church is to bring others into God's Kingdom

John 12:21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus."

This is one of my favorite verses from the Bible because it encapsulates the work of the church. Congregations can get caught up in building programs, financial campaigns, and missional projects, but in the end, if no one comes to see Jesus, then they’re busy doing nothing.

Churches exist to bring people to Christ. They have no other function. Christians can do as much good in their lives and strengthen their community through acts of kindness and well-being, but if no one comes to Jesus, then the deeds are empty of any eternal blessings. This is why it is so important to remember that our faith is missional. We seek others to tell them about Jesus. We try to fill our sanctuaries with those seekers of Christ, not to boost our numbers, but to get more souls into heaven.

Jesus was overjoyed when Andrew and Philip brought the Greeks to meet Him. It meant that His ministry was beginning to travel around the world. That’s why He says it was for this reason that He came. His ministry was to teach the world about God. His mission was to die for the world. On both counts, He succeeded, which is why He is elated at this point in His life. God’s plan of salvation is working. God’s Kingdom is being extended outside of Palestine.

So, the challenge for all of us today is this: what am I going to do or say today that will encourage others to seek and find Jesus? Who am I going to contact or meet today that needs to hear the Gospel? What am I going to do today to extend God’s Kingdom outside of my own personal world and bring it into someone else’s life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have called all of us to do Your bidding and to serve Your will. Grant us the courage to express our faith today to all whom we meet. Give us opportunities to talk about You, Your church, and Your mission, so that others may seek You, too. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.