If you and I are honest with ourselves, we’d have to say that at some point in our lives, we’ve experienced loneliness. Maybe it was after the death of a loved one. Or perhaps you’ve felt abandoned by a family member in your time of greatest need. This is a bleak, yet very real, situation for all of us at some point – maybe even for you today.
So where can we turn in those moments of desperation when it seems all we want is companionship? Well, the truth is the Bible has much to say on the issue of loneliness. In fact, some of the most inspiring passages in Scripture were written at times of immense and deep loneliness for the author. Take a look at what King David wrote in Psalm 69:20:
Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.
Now David was a man who seemingly had everything and everyone he needed. But he very often expressed feelings of loneliness and sorrow, with no one to give him sympathy nor comfort in his time of distress. But in the midst of his pain, he held tightly to the Lord. Look what he wrote immediately after these words in verse 29:
But as for me, afflicted and in pain—may your salvation, God, protect me.
And then in verse 33,
The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.
What comfort it is to know that though David experienced feelings of loneliness and isolation, he found solace and strength in his relationship with the Lord. He knew that though his friends might leave him in times of trouble, the Lord never would, even when his trouble was caused by his own sin!
Now you may be thinking, “Warren, that’s great that God was there for David. But he was king of Israel, and I’m just a normal person.” Well, when it comes to finding comfort, you have a spiritual advantage King David didn’t have: the assurance as a New Testament believer of the presence of the Holy Spirit living inside of you!
So what does that mean? It means that in Christ, you have everything you need to experience comfort and peace no matter your circumstance. In times of hardship, pain, and loneliness, you have the ultimate Comforter with you every hour of every day (John 14:16). He’s the greatest weapon you have in the fight against loneliness!
Once you come to this realization, it will completely transform your life. You’ll no longer see yourself as alone, but instead remember the truth that any time, day or night, you have immediate access to fellowship with God. He’s with you on those lonely nights when no one’s around. He’s right by your side in times of deep heartache. All you have to do is talk, and He hears!
So talk to Him. The Spirit is more real than anyone or anything else in the world. Tell Him how you’re feeling – and be honest. Talk about your heartbreak, your pain, and your sorrow, and He will hear you. Once you begin to experience real fellowship with the Holy Spirit, you’ll find real victory in the battle against loneliness!