We welcomed back our friend Phil Cook to our meeting on a bitterly cold afternoon. Phil’s subject was all about loneliness and he took two scriptures from the Psalms to illustrate his talk:-

Psalm 25 v 16 – Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. (NIV)

Psalm 40 v 2 – And pulled me from a lonely pit. (CEV)

We are not meant to be lonely as we are social and spiritual beings, but sadly there is so much loneliness and social isolation all around us. Even in a crowd, people can often feel desperately alone. The tragedy is, we all experience loneliness at some point but for many people this can be devastating and unbearable. It is in these times that we need someone who can come alongside us and we are thankful for the ‘handful’ of real friends we have. But there is one friend who sticks closer than a brother – Jesus – and we need never be lonely when we know Him, His presence and the assurance of His Spirit living within us. We can praise God too for the many Christian brothers and sisters we have throughout the world. We are not alone!

If you are feeling lonely, allow the Lord to raise you up, to set your feet on a rock and give you a firm place to stand ( Psalm 40 v 2b). And remember, He has gone to prepare a place for you in His presence.