Are You Lonesome Tonight?
As we move into short days and long nights, it becomes easier to feel discouraged. If we are increasingly secluded (by weather and, this year, by governmental edict), we can experience genuine loneliness. I enjoy being alone, but I have a choice in the matter; others do not. Solitude occurs when we want to be alone; loneliness happens when friends and family are taken from us. Solitude soothes, whereas loneliness looms. Because God knows all about us, His Word speaks to us about the painful subject of loneliness. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
The historical account of the first Christmas contains examples of loneliness. In Luke 1:5-23, we read of the godly Zechariah. He had served God faithfully for many years. Now, as an older man (verse 7), he was given the opportunity to offer the daily sacrifice at the Temple and pronounce a blessing upon the people gathered there – a privilege that some priests never had. This solemn occasion was used by God to deliver a message of hope to Zechariah: he and his wife Elizabeth would no longer bear the loneliness of childlessness (in a society that placed great emphasis on the birth of children). I have preached full sermons on this most interesting man, but I will restrain myself and make three quick points. First, Zechariah was not as alone as he felt – he had a godly wife, an angelic messenger, a kind God, and even devoted fellow believers (verse 10 – remember the remnant that we considered yesterday). Second, God did more than Zechariah asked (verse 13): not only would he have a son to bless his remaining years, but this son would be the promised forerunner of the Messiah (verse 17). Third, when Zechariah’s voice was restored, his first words were a song of praise (verses 64-79 – someone needs to write a Christmas song entitled “Zechariah’s Noel”!). Let us join with Zechariah in singing of the “Dayspring from on high” (verse 78 – see Malachi 4:2 as well).