Today's Devotional Thought
May 26, 2010 by Rachel Piferi
It is Not Good
Do you know the very first thing in the Bible that God said was not good? The first thing He noticed to be not good in the world was loneliness. And shortly after God created Adam, He created a companion for him.
The theme of loneliness being not good carries throughout the Bible. There are numerous stories throughout the Bible where individuals felt isolated from other people and they cried out in distress (either by their own doing, the betrayal or others, a call from God to do extraordinary things, or just due to circumstances). In fact, I’m sure that all of the following people had periods of feeling really lonely: Adam, Cain, Joseph, Elijah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Naomi, Mary, Elizabeth, Peter, Paul, and even Jesus. In fact, throughout much of His ministry, Jesus probably felt very alone as even his disciples didn’t fully understand who He was. And, in the hour of His greatest need and anguish, His closest friends fell asleep in the garden, betrayed Him, denied Him to others, and scattered. Only one of the twelve was at the cross. And, Jesus even felt that His own Father had abandoned Him when He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me???? (Matthew 27:45).
Do you feel alone today? If you do, then I want to tell you that Jesus shares your pain. He experienced His own loneliness and He experiences yours. How amazing it is to know that God became human and experienced everything that we’ve experienced. He humbled himself, became man, and knows what our pain feels like. He understands your experiences even more than anyone else does. And, for me, knowing that Jesus has experienced what I have makes me feel a little less alone.
In addition to empathizing with your loneliness, it is even more comforting to know that He does not desire you to feel that loneliness. He recognized at the very beginning that being alone was not good. And He has given us other people to help us, encourage us, and simply live life with us. If you are feeling isolated from others today, then pray that the Lord will send people into your life who will fill that need for social connection. He will provide people for you if you earnestly pray for and seek them. But keep in mind that you must be open to the people that the Lord provides.
It is not good for man to be alone. Welcome and nurture the relationships that the Lord sends to you today.
December