The End of Loneliness
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Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous
right hand.
God is omnipresent. This attribute is an essential part of his being as the eternal God who fills all time and space. But there is a great difference to God being everywhere and God being with you. It is this latter truth that will conquer your anxieties and comfort you in your loneliness.
God’s presence in your life is one of the great gospel promises given throughout Scripture. God has always held this truth out as one of the great blessings of being reconciled to him: “The LORD your God is in your midst” (Zeph. 3:17); “I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people” (Lev. 26:11–12). Jesus ended his earthly ministry with this promise: “Behold, I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20). With such promises, why are you so often going at life as if you are alone?
Sure, there are times when you face something alone—when friends are gone and you cannot find help from a brother or sister. But the absence of a worldly companion does not leave you without hope or help. For even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is with you to protect you, strengthen you, and accomplish his good purposes through you. You are never really alone, but unless you are seeking communion with the Lord who is there, you will feel alone. You will carry the burden. And in doing so you will remain afraid and collapse under the weight of your afflictions.
Rest in the reality of God’s presence. If God is with his people, then as a Christian you can rest assured that he is with you. And if God is with you, to uphold you, you have the promise of perseverance. The presence of God the Father will grant you rest and hope in the midst of all things that drive fear into the hearts of men and women.
What do you do when you’re at the end of your rope? When you’re overwhelmed with anxiety and fear? When your whole world seems to be collapsing? For Christians, there is only one simple yet profound answer: turn to the triune God. Born out of lessons learned during one of the most spiritually challenging periods of his life, Experiencing the Trinity by pastor Joe Thorn contains 50 down-to-earth meditations on God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Overflowing with scriptural truth, pastoral wisdom, and personal honesty, this book reflects on common experiences of doubt, fear, and temptation, pointing readers to the grace that God provides and the strength that he promises.