This Month’s Theme:
Refuge for the Lonely-Hearted
5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
6 God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Psalm 68:5-6, 19
Reflection
To me, loneliness feels like you’re seeing everyone and everything at a distance.
I feel both qualified and unqualified to talk about loneliness. It’s something I am no stranger to, but also something I’m still navigating and trying to figure out. But even though I don’t have all the answers, I know the One who does, and He says:
He sees me. (Genesis 16:13)
He hears me. (Psalm 18:6)
He knows me. (Jeremiah 1:5)
He loves me. (John 3:16)
He will never leave me (Deuteronomy 31:8)
The Bible is full of stories and testimonies about God’s love for us. He is with us. We are not alone.
– Téa Reinecke
Join in the Conversation
What makes us feel lonely?
Maybe it’s because our families are far away, we don’t have a partner, or our friends are too busy with their own lives. Maybe it’s because we don’t feel God is near to us.
But Psalm 68 reminds us that our relationship with God is real and true. He is our Father who watches over each of us, especially those who’ve been abandoned and forgotten.
Furthermore, God has given us a home and family. We have a heavenly home awaiting us, and the Church, though imperfect, remains God’s vessel of love toward us. Our loneliness may say otherwise, but God says we have a place and people to which we belong.
Even though we can’t permanently avoid the feeling of loneliness in this life, we can keep running to God, our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens and lifts us up.
Reflect
- If you’re feeling lonely, what do you think is causing it, and how might you bring your burden to God and let Him carry it for you?
- Have you ever been led by God to be the family or home to someone lonely? How do you think you can take that first step to fight against loneliness by sharing your life and home with others?
Topics to Explore
- Leaning on God’s constant love when earthly relationships fall short
- How we experience God’s nearness despite not seeing Him
- How seeing more of God’s goodness saves us from envy
- Entrusting our daily burdens to God
- Adjusting our expectations in relationships/friendships
- How to love your family when you don’t feel loved
- Can we be friends even if we don’t have similar interests?
- Embracing and integrating ourselves into God’s community
- Learning to be alone and not feel lonely
Need encouragement? Here are a few articles to help you reflect:
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