You Are Not Alone

​        Sheila felt like no one loved her anymore, no one even cares what happens to her, no one wants to be around her because of one small mistake. Disowned by her parents and unloved by her boyfriend she was left broken and alone. She felt like the whole world hated her. She went to church as a child but fell away when the world enticed her too much. She got into a bad crowd and now even the one she considered her best friend won’t acknowledge her presence even on social media. Sheila is alone. Or is she???
      Does that situation sound a little familiar, maybe a bit too close to home for some but guess what, there is good news. Sheila is not truly alone and neither are we. What she does not know is that God is there, He is watching over her.  Remember, we are broken and sometimes we must be completely torn apart before we see Jesus.
     Being alone is a physical thing. What Sheila is going through is the state of mind brought on by feelings of separation and isolation called loneliness. The worst feeling in the world is that of loneliness.  Remember the story of Joseph the dreamer. His brothers made him feel isolated and unwelcome. They threw him in a well then sold him into slavery. The only peace Joseph had was the knowledge that God was with him. 
     Sometimes when we feel alone, we forget that God is there, even in darkest times God is right there.  Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Jesus tells us that it is the Holy Spirit, the very breath of God, within us that comforts us in our time of need. In some, the Spirit seems to be asleep waiting for the alarm to go off and the person to feel the warmth of He who dwells in our hearts. When the Spirit is awakened through the Word, glorious things happen. Others are too focused on worldly matters and never feel the joy that the Spirit brings. The first thing we realize as Christians is that we are not truly alone but have a kind, loving, SAVIOR living in us and watching over us.
     Think of a time you felt so lonely and stressed that you felt everything was crashing down. Come on, everyone goes through that at least once. Imagine that time without Jesus, the end looks pretty bleak in that situation. Now bring Jesus back into the situation. Was there not something inside that told you to hold on for another day, the voice said, “I got this just be patient, joy comes in the morning.” Relax because you are not alone. God said that He will never leave us or forsake us. He will not forget us even when we forget to rely on Him.
     When we are in prayer and having a conversation with God is that not acknowledging His presence. He is not far away but by your side feeling what you feel, knowing what you know, and guiding every good thought so that the day can be lived for His glory.
     “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him (Psalm 91:14-15).”
    Sometimes when we think we are in control God humbles us to reel us back in, recognizing that we cannot do it alone. Jonah thought He got away from responsibility and figured he could hide away and be on his own to do things on his own terms and not follow God’s commands. Poor guy got stuck in a big fish and in humility recognized he is part of God’s plan and not his own.
    How lonely Mary must have felt for those few days after her Son died on that cross. Sure she had sons and daughters (blood and spirit related) but losing the one thing that gave her the greatest joy must have killed her inside. She was empty but seeing her Son filled her with gladness. Of course Mary was never alone but it sure felt that way I bet.
   So how do we get over this loneliness? What do we do to feel fulfilled? Well, how about reading, listening, and hearing God’s Word (Scripture) so that we can know the Truth (Jesus) that He is alive and living in us, loves us as brothers and sisters, friends, family. Accepting Jesus into our hearts is the first step after God plants the seed within us in the work of others through His Holy Spirit. He is always there so let Jesus in.
    “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8).”  Ask with a genuine heart (prayer), seek Him out in the reading of Scripture and the spiritual work of yourself and others, knock and the key shall turn to life everlasting. Amen
How about this for a promise:  
But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. Isaiah 43: 1-5