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.)
On Thursday, we touched upon today’s key thought: as bad as loneliness can be, it is not always the worst option. Genesis 18 provides a compelling example. Abraham, a stranger in a strange land, remained a nomad, yet he crossed paths with the godly priest-king Melchizadek. His nephew Lot chose to reside in the city. He was never alone and even became a civic leader. However, he influenced no one for good. In fact, if not for II Peter 2:7, which speaks of “just Lot, vexed with the filthy [behavior] of the wicked,” we would not think of Lot as a believer. Lot craved company but lost his comfortable life, his wife, and the respect of his daughters. He would have been better off living the lonelier life of Abraham. God, being gracious, did not let either man slip away from Him, but Abraham’s life was the better way. We all have a desire to fit in; however, there are bad people and places that will welcome us only to destroy us. Let us find the best place to fit in – in God’s “everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27).