Words of Grace | Psalm 23 | For You are With Me

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” David knew the feeling of loneliness. He knew it in his family. He was one of eight sons of Jesse. And when Samuel the prophet asked to see Jesse's boys, David was forgotten and overlooked. The prophet counted and asked if there wasn't another child somewhere. Jesse snapped his fingers as if he had forgotten his phone. “I still have the youngest. He is out taking care of the sheep” (1 Samuel 16:11). How would you feel if a family meeting was called and you were forgotten and overlooked? 

Not much changed when he became an adult. David had to run and hide from a jealous king who tried to kill him. His own son betrayed him and attempted a coup. David was no stranger to loneliness. He wrote: “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted” (Psalm 2516). He penned countless other psalms that expressed sadness, despair, and lament.

You don't have to be alone to feel lonely. Loneliness doesn't come from being alone; it comes from feeling alone. Feeling as if you are facing death alone, or facing disease alone, or facing the future alone. Loneliness can strike you in bed at night or on your morning commute to the office. It strikes in the silence of an empty house, or in the noise of a crowded bar.

But what if loneliness is not a curse, but a gift. Sounds crazy, right?  Who in their right mind would consider loneliness a gift from God? Besides, it leaves people feeling empty, discouraged, and even depressed. But what if loneliness is God's way of getting our attention? What if it’s God’s “warning light” to alert you that some action needs to be taken. What if loneliness is a “nudge” from God to reconnect with Him?

Loneliness may feel like a dead end, but what if it can lead us to the One whose love never ends? Loneliness may make us feel unseen, but what if it can shift our gaze to the One who sees us?

When you know God loves you, you won't be desperate for the love and attention of other people. Have you ever gone to the grocery on an empty stomach? What happens? You end up buying things you don't need. It doesn't matter if it's good for you, you just want to fill your stomach. When you're lonely, you do the same thing in life, pulling things off the shelf, not because you need it, but because you are hungry for love.

You may feel lonely in facing illness, but you are not alone. You may feel lonely in facing unemployment, but you are not alone. You may feel lonely in facing divorce, but you are not alone. How is that possible? Because the LORD is with you. And that changes everything. Until next time, may the goodness and mercy of God follow you all the moments of this day!