God's Light in Your Loneliness - Your Nightly Prayer - August 7
God’s Light in Your Loneliness
by Britt Mooney
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“Even the darkness will not be dark to you… for darkness is as light to you.” - Psalm 139:12
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Years ago, in a Romanian orphanage, they observed babies with little or no human contact. Without being held and interacted with, the infants would withdraw socially and develop physical sickness. A later Harvard study further documented this. Even with meeting basic physical needs, a lack of affection caused higher death rates. Once given physical contact, babies improved in all areas.
God made us in his image, to be and reflect himself. The Lord is, within himself, a relationship, the Trinity. Therefore, God recognized the one “problem” within the Garden of Eden—Adam didn’t have anyone like himself. So he created Eve.
We all have this deep need for relationships, to be seen and heard by others. Feeling alone can be torture.
We experience loneliness for various reasons, and the isolation can be accompanied by things like betrayal, abandonment, and rejection.
God addresses this pain throughout the Bible. He’ll never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). Before his death, Jesus assured them he wasn’t leaving them alone as orphans (John 14:8).
The Father is all present, all-seeing, and all-powerful. He promises not to leave us alone. Like all of God’s promises, this means we’ll absolutely feel alone. The broken world and sinful humans will treat us with hate. Satan will lie to us with, “No one loves you. No one cares. No one sees you.”
But God himself promises to encounter us with his presence, to comfort and empower. In the times we experience agonizing loneliness, we join a host of saints: Job, Jacob, Joseph, David, Elijah, Jesus. God met them there with love and power.
In our darkness, the Lord’s presence brings light, for he is light. When we feel alone, we must calm our souls and call upon the Father to meet us there with his love and truth. With Christ, we’re never alone or forsaken.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
You formed us for relationship in your loving image. You see, when we feel forgotten, abandoned, and rejected. You don’t leave us alone as orphans. You promise to stay with us, to comfort and strengthen us. In our loneliness, we call on you now. Speak truth against Satan’s lies. Be the light in our darkness. Thank you for your amazing presence.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. At some times, did you feel abandoned or alone?
2. What are practical ways you can seek God’s illuminating presence when you feel dark loneliness?
3. Knowing people need such a connection, how can you encourage others that they aren’t alone?
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Manikandan-Annamalai
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