Unwanted Solitude
Turn to me and have mercy on me, for I am alone and in deep distress. Psalm 25:16
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Some of us long for solitude, praying for a quiet retreat where we can gather our thoughts or rest our tired bodies. Yet sometimes we are faced with solitude we neither ask for nor desire. The psalmist found himself in that singular place. His thoughts were large in a wilderness that seemed vast and empty. It is interesting that David didn’t ask God to take him out of the barren land but invited God to join him there. He knew from experience that God’s presence could illuminate any dark night.
Our journeys through life will not always take us on straight paths. They are interspersed with thrilling mountaintop heights at times and with valleys and lulls in activity at others. Sometimes those valleys are lonely indeed. We might find ourselves there because of a move eight hundred miles away from family and friends or because we have a gnawing hole in our hearts when a child leaves the nest for the first time. These are places we do not willingly walk, but we do not have to face those lonely times alone. God is willing to join us and to walk with us step-by-step, holding our hands as we find our way through the valley together.
Prayers:
FATHER, I am hurting, and I need you. I am thankful that I do not have to face times of loneliness without you. When I am in the valley, show me every step I should take to find my way through the darkness. Help me to remember that even your precious Son was alone in Gethsemane before his crucifixion. Show me your face now, as you revealed yourself to him at his time of greatest need.
Quotes:
The soul hardly ever realizes it, but whether he is a believer or not, his loneliness is really a homesickness for God.
Hubert Van Zeller (1905–1984)
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Exodus 12:14–13:16; Matthew 20:29–21:22; Psalm 25:16-22 and Proverbs 6:12-15.
