Loneliness

Never! Never! Never!

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

Though I already had my songs picked out and a message prepared, just before heading to Life Care Center on Friday, I read my own daily devotional, based on a verse from Psalm 9. “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Psalm 9:10 NKJV

As I finished reading, those words stirred my heart, because they made me think of the many people that I visit who feel totally alone and abandoned. Quickly, I grabbed a pen and paper and the Lord helped me put together a short message of hope. My hope for you this weekend, is that no matter the circumstances which you face, that you may know that God will never abandon, never forget and never forsake, those who put their trust in Him. If we have put our trust in Jesus, then we belong to Him. Every fault, every failure, every regret and loss, He covers with His precious blood and gives us His grace, renewal and best of all, eternal life! If you have not yet begun that adventure of faith, it is never too late. Never! Never! Never!

He Knows Your Name!

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"To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:3 NKJV

Does it bother you when people forget your name? Are you offended, or at this holiday season when the song says “There’s no place like home for the holidays.”, are you wondering if there is anyone who wants you around or knows what you are going through? In the chapter just before today’s verse, we are introduced to a blind man who receives a more detailed story than anyone else in John’s gospel (except of course Jesus), but we are never told his name. The disciples asked if he were a sinner and his neighbors just referred to him as the blind beggar. His parents simply confessed him as son, then the Pharisees named him; a sinner. Not one person uttered his name. Maybe he felt invisible, anonymous and rejected. But no matter whether, they knew his name, the most important part of this story is that Jesus did! If we keep reading we find that Jesus came to meet him after he was rejected by others and called him individually to believe and follow. Today, just like that blind man, Jesus has come for you. Jesus wants to spend time with you. If no one else on earth remembers you, this Christmas, remember that Jesus has not forgotten. He is calling you and has come to lead you to come and follow someone who will always remember your name!

Alone With God

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But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6 ESV

Maybe the hardest part about real prayer is that no one knows about it except God. Jesus told us to be alone with God, but I hate to be alone. Didn’t God say, “It is not good for man to be alone.” But then God reminds me that Adam wasn’t lonely, and he wasn’t ever really alone. In fact, before he sinned, Adam was able to walk in the garden every day with God. But as God watched Adam sleeping, He decided that Adam needed another person to be with Him.  So that night, God performed the first surgery and He removed one of Adam’s ribs to form Eve as a helper who was made just for him.

Imagine Adam’s surprise in the morning when he woke up and there she was! Prayer that is alone with God is not lonely because in it we draw closer to God. He wants us to learn that we can be closer to Him than anyone else in the world. He wants to be our most intimate friend. Jesus tells us to spend time alone in our prayer closet so that when we open the door and step out, we can walk with Him all through the day. That special fellowship was made possible by another surgery that God performed. That surgery happened one Friday on the cross. There a Roman soldier thrust His spear into Jesus’ side, and blood and water poured down. In that moment God forgave our sins, then while Jesus slept, God began to fashion for Him a people who would be made just for Him and to be with Him forever.