Is there a worse feeling than loneliness? To be sure, we all crave times to be alone,
but that is very different than loneliness.
Being alone is a temporary state that refreshes us to return to the
fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ, our families, friends, and
others. Loneliness is the sense that there
will never be a return to community, or that even in the midst of many people
you are still disconnected. Worst of
all, loneliness, deep lingering loneliness, leaves us feeling separated from
God.
It is a very real human feeling; loneliness. It was the feeling that King David was
experiencing when he wrote Psalm 13. He
felt separated from people, from God, and he cried out in despair, “How long, O
LORD?
Will you forget me forever?”
Have you ever been there?
Have you ever been in the place where all seems dark? Have you walked through times that the
sweetest wine tasted like ashes, good news seemed sadness, and all the best
things seemed hopelessly fleeting? Have
you ever been to that place where God seems so distant that your heart aches
for His presence, but never finds satisfaction?
Many Christians have experienced something like
this. St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)
called it, “the dark night of the soul,” in his famous poem by the same
name. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) described
it in his writings too. Luther, also,
went through times wondering where God was in his life. Perhaps these experienced help to draw out
his understanding that our salvation cannot rest on our feelings, but must rest
in what God has done. “I am baptized,”
he would say if asked the questions, “How do you know you are saved?” He was very good at putting the focus back on
God, His promises, Christ’s Cross, and His Spirit’s work through the Word and
Sacraments.
Luther recognized that it is very tempting to focus on
ourselves when walking through the dark night.
We want so badly to change our circumstances that we diligently put
ourselves to work. We seek the cure for
our loneliness in things we can do.
Sometimes we medicate ourselves against the loneliness; pharmaceutically
or by attempting to drown the sadness in a bottle. We think, “Whatever it takes to escape!” (Please note: I am not speaking of clinical
depression here, which is a physical malady that God has given us medical
insight to ease. This is a spiritual
condition.)
So what do we do when we find ourselves in the dark
night?
We wait. We
suffer, as Jesus did. We cry. But we also cling to God’s promises. We look to Him for comfort. We cling to God’s Word, as Jeremiah did in
his Lamentations, “I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I
will wait for him." 25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is
in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for
the salvation of the LORD. 27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young. 28 Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has
laid it on him. 29 … there may yet be hope. 30 …. 31
For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. 32 Though he brings
grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.” (Lam 3:24-32
NIV) That’s what David did, too. “I have
trusted in Your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.” We remember, “I am baptized. I have received Jesus’ body and blood in the
Lord’s Supper. I hear His Word and these
brings me God’s salvation.” It may be
hard, it may be lonely, but God has promised, “I will never leave you or
forsake you.” So we hold on, waiting to
see what He will do in this time, for He has dealt bountifully with us.
Father, be with
me. Help me trust you, and believe that
when I feel abandoned, that you are there.
Bring to mind all the blessings you have given me, especially that You
gave Jesus to save me. Amen.
Comments
Peace!