Alone with God
The following blog is a devotion from my book, Blind Faith Devotional: 30 Days of Finding Light, Building Faith, and Choosing Joy.
For more devotions, check it out here: https://amzn.to/3Q62J9h.
Day 24: Alone with God
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11
Have you ever felt truly alone? Maybe you are facing a situation that is unfamiliar to your closest family or friends, are in a disagreement with your spouse or significant other, or just cannot seem to relate to the walks of life that the others around you are experiencing. Many situations in life can make us feel like we are isolated. When we feel this way, it can be so easy to retreat into ourselves. Like little hermit crabs, we crawl into our shells, and, trust me, this is not a safe place at all. I know from experience that the enemy can get to us more easily when we isolate ourselves.
After I lost my sight, I felt truly lonely.
I felt no one could understand what I was facing or relate to my hardships. In my new situation, it was difficult for others to relate to me and for me to relate to others as well. All of a sudden, I felt so different from everyone around me, even my family and my closest friends.
I remember one of the times that I felt most isolated and lonely during this season of life. I had returned to college after losing my sight, and many people did their best to include me, which I truly appreciated. In spite of my new situation, I had been invited to attend meetings for the equestrian team, which I had been a part of since my freshman year, even though I could no longer show. I was excited at first to still be connected in some way to this part of my life, but that feeling did not last long. I felt so out of place and disconnected as I listened to them discussing the horses, lessons, upcoming shows, and other aspects of the team that I knew I now had no part in.
In situations like these, it was hard for me not to be disappointed in God.
I wanted so badly for Him to heal me so that I could return to my “normal” life, but when this didn’t happen, I felt like God was not listening and even like He wasn’t there.
In the midst of this isolation, I began to retreat into my own mind, fears, and vulnerabilities, and, as a result, I cut myself off further from the world around me and even from God. Just like that hermit crab, I took refuge in my own shell instead of taking refuge in God. The writer of Psalms 16 tells us, however, that, when we are feeling vulnerable or lonely, taking refuge in the Lord is our best defense: “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.”
What I had to realize and what we all must remember when we are feeling alone is that God will never abandon us. He walks with us, grieves with us, and faces all of those changes and trials in life, standing firm by our sides. When we understand this fact, how can we ever feel alone? The psalmist writes: “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Psalms 16:8).
We also have to remember that, despite the pain we may be feeling at the moment, all good things come from God.
When we cut ourselves off from Him, we also cut ourselves off from His blessings, guidance, and grace: “I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you” (Psalms 16:2). So, when it feels as though the rest of the world is so far away, take joy in the fact that our God never leaves us. Use your separation from the world to grow closer to the Lord, and trust in the security that comes with His ever-presence and love: “Therefore, my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure” (Psalms 16:9).
Think About It: How can I use the loneliness that I feel at times to grow closer to the Lord?
Pray About It: “Lord, thank you for all of your many blessings and for all of the good you have provided in my life. When I feel alone, help me to focus on your presence so that I can find my strength and comfort in you.”
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