Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- July 6, 2012
“The Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid.” Genesis 3:9,10
Fear accompanies the feeling of aloneness. Like a child attending a new school, people who are alone can be anxious and unsure. Aloneness attacks celebrities flush with fame and single parents reeling from a ravaged relationship. Indeed, isolation increases when someone choses to isolate themselves from relational risk. The downside of not venturing out to engage community can cause a crisis of faith. It is not good to be alone.
Ironically, a person can feel lonesome even while surrounded by people. Close proximity to a caring community does not guarantee the sense of belonging. Are you suffering from the feeling of insecurity in your aloneness? Have you drifted from connection to concerned confidants or deserted spiritual disciplines? Do you acknowledge the Lord’s pursuit of your affections? His desire is to flush out your fear and replace it with faith.
“Why do you pursue me as God does?” Job 19:22a
There may be loved ones that long to love you out of your secluded state of mind. If you are a spouse quietly suffering by yourself, take a risk and open up to your husband or wife. Don’t let the shame of your sticky situation bar you from bearing your soul. Men especially can hold in concerns for fear of being perceived as weak, or incapable of carrying out their responsibilities. But freedom comes by not concealing, but by revealing your feelings. So, don’t maintain a stoic image and miss intimate encounters with others.
Most of all let the Lord love you in and through your loneliness. There is no need to try to hide from His presence, because He is ever present. It is vain to run from His watchful eye, because He is always on the look out for you. Wise are we not to seclude ourselves from our Savior’s sensitive spirit. Stay enlisted in the Lord’s service—experience His miraculous works of grace. Invite into your life God’s love and feel His warm embrace. Christ followers are not alone—you are a part of His body, created for companionship.
“The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to remain alone.” Genesis 2:18a
Prayer: Almighty God, by faith replace my feelings of aloneness with Your affection.
Related Readings: Job 7:19; Psalm 102:7; Ecclesiastes 4:8,11; John 8:16, 29; Romans 14:7
Post/Tweet this today: Freedom comes by not concealing but revealing your feelings. #freedom #feelings
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I am a communication specialist and am offering some consulting for free. You have to call something just one name. If you have a friend named Joe, call him Joe. Not Joe once, than Fred’s som, then Pete’s brother. In you article you used Savior, Christ, Lord, and God all within two sentences. You must communicate and call something just one name.
take a look at this copy from your article:
“Wise are we not to seclude ourselves from our Savior’s sensitive spirit. Stay enlisted in the Lord’s service—experience His miraculous works of grace. Invite into your life God’s love and feel His warm embrace. Christ followers are not alone—”
See what I mean??
Paul Jass MPM CPIM
True. I like the way you end here because it is only God who can truly help us…though He sometimes uses others.
Sometimes even our spouses don’t know what to do with our lonely feelings…
Do you suppose there can be an element of our not being able to receive/connect? Just wondering…