Only the Lonely - Psalm 148:18

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 from 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 I experience loneliness or isolation, allow me the comfort of Your presence. Keep me from feeling forsaken and bring me closer to You. In Christ’s Name, I pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along any Sunday and join us for worship at 11:00 AM. You’ll be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s latest lectionary drawings for Psalm 54. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm54.

Trouble Sleeping? - Psalm 13:2

Psalm 13: 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? (NIV)

            Do you ever have trouble sleeping at night because you have too many thoughts rattling through your head? Do you go through days when your heart is hurt and heavy because someone wounded or disappointed you? Do you have moments when you want to pack everything all in because your problems are overwhelming and you can’t focus on any one of them? Me, too – welcome to the real world.

            Psalm 13 is one of the shortest songs in the whole Bible but it contains so much truth and relevance that I find myself returning to it repeatedly, especially when I have personal issues. The words appeal to me because of the boldness of the author – this is someone who knows trouble and needs to vent to God about it. It’s a hymn of complaint which we call a lament – the writer has been deeply hurt and wonders why God hasn’t done anything to remedy the situation or deal with the problem. There is an initial element of disappointment in his words as if the psalmist is saying to God “I have placed all of my faith in You, so why aren’t You sticking up for me? Why aren’t You helping me to overcome my foes and clear up this messy situation, God?”

            This is why I love the Book of Psalms – the candid complaints and painful protests are very human and clearly directed toward God. God’s inactivity is bewildering; His indifference is frustrating; His forgetfulness is almost infuriating. The psalmist feels let down and depressed, isolated and vulnerable. He cannot find peace, happiness, or hope. He struggles with his dilemma and he wrestles with God. Do you know that feeling? Me, too.

            In the end, the songwriter surrenders himself to God’s will. In a remarkable leap of faith, he decides to remain connected to the Lord. No matter what happens, he trusts God completely – the psalmist has vented his spleen and voiced his complaint. He now leaves it in God’s hands and aims instead to praise God for past blessings. This is not fair-weathered or a convenient faith; this is hard-to-endure and on-the-edge faith. This is what it truly means to believe in God.

Points to Ponder

What is presently troubling me? What issues am I experiencing? Have I complained to God? Am I willing to leave my problems in His hands? Do I still want to praise Him?

Prayer: Lord God, You know us completely and fully understand the worries that weary us and the problems that presently burden us. Give us the will to hand them all over to You. Allow us the blessing of praising You in both good and bad times. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to give some feedback or ask questions about today’s message, please send John an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Bible drawings of Psalm 13. If you would like to view a larger version, click here: Psalm 13.

Encouraging Devotion - Faithful Promises - Isaiah 12:2

Isaiah 12:2      Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

            We all go through fearful and unsettling times. Sometimes, those moments occur when we’re worried about our families or friends; at other times, we may be concerned about our careers or work projects; there may also be times when our health declines or something accidental occurs in our lives. Whatever the circumstances, we feel frail and vulnerable, unprotected and absolutely human.

            When we are fearful, it helps us to understand that God is always faithful. His words and promises from the past become relevant and meaningful to us, especially when we read them in times of trouble or crisis. God’s Spirit reaches to us from the pages of the Holy Scriptures and across the centuries to let us know that He is with us, standing beside us, or even carrying us through painful moments and worrying times. Grace and love are the great gifts He bestows upon us; compassion and comfort are blessings that will sustain us, enabling us to endure and overcome whatever assails us.

            Today’s verse from Isaiah 12 is a beautiful promise that can help us get through our present difficulties and personal problems. As Christians, we receive these words through the blessings of our Savior Jesus Christ, who forgives our sins, guides us through life, and restores us to God’s everlasting favor. Our faith is focused on Him, because in Him we have everything that we will ever need in this life and the next.

Questions for personal reflection

What presently troubles or worries me? How can God’s promise through Isaiah help me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of our souls and the Light of our lives. In You and through You, we experience God’s grace, love, and compassion. Thank You for allowing us to come to You with our prayers and problems. Thank You for being with us every day. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to make comments or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s 2016 drawings for Holy Week. It’s called ‘The Beginning.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Beginning.

Daily Devotions: One Morning

Isaiah 40: 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”?

What would happen if you were to wake up one morning and discovered that you had no belief in God? Would it change your life? Would it alter your relationships? Would it matter at all?

What if you had been asking God to change things in your life and that this non-belief was the answer? What if you had been so disappointed with God and hurt by life that you had no expectations of Him whatsoever? How would that change your attitude, opinions, and beliefs?

As the Western Church dips below its horizon of influence and power, more and more people are feeling this way. They wake up one morning and there’s no need to believe anymore. They stop going to church. They stop reading the Bible. They stop praying to God. After all, if the Church can’t get its act together and firmly state what it believes, then why should people believe anything?

Life becomes a process and each day is just another step towards oblivion. Existence is a temporal experience and faith is just a fantasy for fools who cannot face up to the fact that there is no purpose, no meaning, and no God. Secularism suffocates the soul and apathy advances throughout the mind, spirit, and body.

Such is the condition of post-modern human beings. They be. They live merely to be. God has no place in their lives, their hearts, or their choices. They are on their own in a vast universe that has no idea that human beings even exist and when they are gone, life goes on and nothing changes across the cosmos.

What a sad way to live! How much better to know that, as Paul once wrote, “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for giving us life and for allowing us to know of Your presence, Your interest in us, and Your love given to us through Jesus. In His Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at 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.