‘For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.’ Isaiah 54:5 (NLT)
‘Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’#4:4 Deut 8:3.” Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’#4:7 Deut 6:16.” Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’#4:10 Deut 6:13.” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.’ Matthew 4:1-11 (NLT)
‘After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.’ Matthew 14:23 (NLT)
‘Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. ‘ Mark 1:35 (NLT)
‘Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them. ‘ Luke 4:42 (NLT)
‘Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”’ Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)
This may be surprising to you, but being alone for periods of time has actually been shown to provide a positive impact on a person’s mind and body. These include an increase in creativity, reflection, personal analysis, rest, recuperation, feelings of freedom, increased focus, and even improved self-esteem. These benefits often stem from one opportunity that being alone provides, which is to connect fully with God.
Jesus made a habit of being alone during His time on earth. In Matthew 4:1-11, He was alone for 40 days in the wilderness.
In Matthew 14:23, “He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.”
In Mark 1:35, we read that Jesus departed while it was still dark so he could go to a desolate place and commune with God.
And in Luke 4:42, Jesus again went to a secluded place to be alone.
Remember, because of God’s presence in our lives, being “alone” is never truly alone. You are with God. Hebrews 13:5 reveals one of the most powerful truths in the Bible, seen clearly through its structure in the original Greek language. This short verse—“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you”—contains four different negative Greek words. It is called emphatic negation, and it is the strongest form of Greek negation. In English, two negatives cancel each other out. But in Greek, they intensify the meaning.
Thus, God will never, never, never, never, never leave you. You are not alone even when you are alone.
Far too often, we confuse our fear of loneliness with that of being alone—when in reality, times of solitude have been used for spiritual disciplines throughout the ages. Quiet time with God can provide strength and refreshment.
The antidote to loneliness, then, is not about keeping ourselves from being alone, but in the type of relationships we have with other people and with the Lord.
Learn to open up to others and enjoy sharing your life with a few close friends. Learn to spend time alone in God’s presence, and learn to enjoy Him. When you look to God as your primary source for emotional care, love, protection, and enjoyment, you will also learn better how to love and enjoy others and yourself. Then, when you are with others, expectations for what you each share together will be more meaningful. Try journaling and writing down your feelings just with the Lord—you will find Him a tender listener and an incredible friend.
from Lonely? You Can Change That