LONELINESS is considered by sociologists as the most painful emotion. Today join me in a study of how we can find our sure refuge from loneliness. Loneliness has been described as the times in a believers life when God takes something or allows someone to be removed from us—so that He can be closest to us. Often loneliness shocks us when its shadow crosses our path. We think of it as always an enemy and never a friend—but not David. He saw loneliness for what it was: loneliness gave David the opportunity to flee to Christ as his Refuge. Consequently, he invested his life the greatest way possible by serving Gods purpose in his generation (Acts 13:36). For this reason, the Lord made David our prime Old Testament example of what the life of Gods servants should look like. Does it seem surprising, then, to hear that David, the man after Gods heart, suffered with loneliness throughout his life? Although surrounded by a nation, an army, and his own family, he often felt lonely. In fact, most of his great psalms came from that reference point.24 Loneliness is no respecter of persons. From the greatest to the least of us, all experience the pain of loneliness at one time or another. And God has something to say about that—It isnt good … In the first recorded conversation with Adam, God spoke of this problem: It is not good that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18a; emphasis added). He solved Adams loneliness by making a helper suitable to him (18b). Eve was created to correspond to Adams life, which is what God intended for all marriages—a complete correspondence, a completion, a gathering together in an unbreakable bond of two who become one. Since God said it is not good to be alone, why do we often feel alone even when surrounded by people? After sin entered the world, Adam and Eve experienced the sting of the most dreadful form of loneliness—alienation from God (Genesis 3). We now live in a fallen world with the pre-Fall, non-sinful loneliness plus the horror of alienation from our Creator. The Lord wants to be close, to fully complete us, but we either wont let Him or else dont understand He is the solution to healing the gnawing void within us. Because we are all fallen in Adam, we encounter loneliness in many forms. It may appear as desolation, unsatisfied longings, emptiness (like having a vacuum inside), or a sense of displacement after moving away from a cherished home and the comfortable and familiar. The most acute form of loneliness, however, is probably the loss of someone precious to us through disagreement, distance, or death. The loss of a life partner especially, whether through death or divorce, can create a cavernous void that affects not only the partner left behind but also the children, family, and friends who likewise have an agonizing hole in their hearts. But there is hope in all this! By rightly responding to God in our lonely times, He works in each situation for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). One way the Lord teaches this truth is through biblical models whose character was forged in the furnace of loneliness: Joseph, as he trusted God in a lonely pit, palace, and prison, was being prepared for his future God-ordained role as second in command of the foreign world of Egypt. Moses, as he spent forty lonely years in the backside of the desert, was being humbled and readied for the monumental task of guiding Gods people out of their Egyptian bondage. Daniel, lonely in far off Babylon, made the most of the exile, successfully exalting God by his character and service. He quickly rose to the role of statesman … and served as a confidante of kings as well as a prophet of two world empires.25 Paul, repeatedly thrown in lonely jail cells in distant Roman cities, gave a glorious testimony that in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37)! But more than anyone else in Scripture, Davids life models the genuine hope we can find for our loneliness, hope which is in Christ—the loneliest Person to ever live on this planet. Jesus is the perfect Refuge for the lonely. Think of it: He left the best, closest, and most intimate relationship in the universe—His oneness with the Father—and humbled Himself by taking on human form to seek and to save the lost. Yet, even His closest friends abandoned Him in His direst hour:26 Indeed the hour is coming … that you will be scattered … and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me (John 16:32). To purchase our salvation, Jesus Christ had to endure the punishment sin deserves. On the cross, for an unknown period of time, He suffered the ultimate loneliness—alienation from God: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Matthew 27:46). As finite beings, we can never grasp the depth of the piercing aloneness that engulfed the infinite Son of God as He paid such an indescribably high price for our sin. But this we know: when overwhelmed with loneliness, we can find comfort in Christ because He is acquainted with our grief and sympathizes with our weaknesses. And Jesus invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (see Hebrews 4:14–16). In periods of aloneness, David wonderfully found that comfort and closeness in the Good Shepherd. What was deepest within him when lonely was often reflected in psalms during different stages of his life: the growing years, the struggling years, the strong years, and the waning years. In this chapter, we will be focusing on truths David learned in his youth—his growing years. Lessons from Davids Youth According to some researchers, the most intense loneliness is thought to be experienced by teenagers who feel neither young nor old. Its like they are in limbo between two worlds, but they cant seem to connect with either. Because loneliness is something they dont expect, teens are commonly caught off guard and ill-prepared for its fierceness. To cope with the sting of feeling alone, they typically look for solace, approval, and acceptance from their peers. Davids testimony from his teen years is especially powerful. His most well-known writings are often youthful expressions of the Lords faithfulness, for David did not have an easy life in his growing years. As the youngest of eight sons, from the earliest moment he was able to watch the sheep, this lowly job was dumped on him. Sometimes we tend to glorify David as a shepherd boy by envisioning him playing with his slingshot and having fun watching the sheep. But shepherding was a lonely job. In 1 Samuel 16–18 David was overlooked, ignored, and disliked by his family. He was often left out of family gatherings and big feasts, unrecognized for achievements, and left alone much of the time. David keenly felt his familys rejection, but it drove him to meditate on the Lords trustworthiness. God was always on Davids mind, and he was on Gods. In 1 Samuel 16 the prophet Samuel invited Jesse and all his sons to sacrifice to the Lord, but only Jesse and Davids older brothers went. When God made it clear none of the seven was His choice to be the next king, Samuel asked Jesse, Are these all your boys? Oh, well, theres the youngest, said Jesse, but hes not very important—hes out taking care of the sheep. When David was brought in, the Lord told Samuel, Arise, anoint him; for this is the one! (1 Samuel 16:12). David was anointed and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward (1 Samuel 16:13). But afterward, he went back to tending sheep. Most Bible scholars agree that Psalms 19 and 23 were written after Davids anointing—when his heart overflowed as the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Lets look at these psalms he wrote to testify of Gods closeness during his youth. Psalm 19—How David Overcame Loneliness There are three basic lessons we can learn from the Psalm 19 period of Davids youth: 1. When he was lonely David meditated upon Gods character (Psalm 19:1–6): 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. David spent many lonely nights in the fields, woods, and hillsides of Judea. Rather than hating and fleeing those times, he meditated upon God and learned that since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead (Romans 1:20). Likely, Davids first recorded reflection was the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). Did you catch the truth practically screaming at us in that verse? David SAW GOD when he was alone! He never gave in to self-pity and thinking like this: Oh man, here I am growing up in Bethlehem … the world is passing me by … my family doesnt care about me … Woe is me! Im alone—nobody loves me—and besides, these sheep stink! Would you buy a song like that? Would you enjoy singing it or memorizing its words? No, the secret David shared is this: The very fact the heavens declare the glory of God causes me to rise above my problems and see GOD! With such a response, loneliness becomes a tool in the Lords hands to draw us closer to Him! 2. When he was lonely David listened to Gods Word (Psalm 19:7–11): 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. David wouldnt let loneliness totally shut him down. As he joyfully reflected upon God in the expanse of the heavens and His glory in the night skies, he replayed in his mind all hed heard about the Lord at the tabernacle or when His Word was spoken elsewhere. The Scriptures so captivated Davids heart that he hungered for every morsel. As a result, he truly listened to what God had to say as he meditated on the laws, testimonies, statutes, commandments, and the fear and judgments of the Lord. 3. When he was lonely David sought Gods acceptance and approval (Psalm 19:12–14): 12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. 13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Because David feared Gods disapproval, he heeded His Word, not wanting to be guilty of even secret faults—unintentional sins (Psalm 19:13). David asked the Lord to empower him to be blameless in thoughts, words, and deeds. His Redeemers acceptance and approval motivated David to make it through his lonely periods with right responses to God. One of the prime characteristics of teenagers is their strong need for acceptance and approval from their peers. Since David was a teen at this point, he felt this need too. But he chose to let God meet it, so he broke with the crowd. Psalm 19:14 was a clear and beautiful cry from a teen who was after Gods own heart! So then, three ways we can overcome loneliness are: 1) meditate on Gods character; 2) listen to His Word; and 3) seek the Lords acceptance and approval above all others. This study is chapter 4 in the book Davids Spiritual Secret Our Sure Refuge in Loneliness.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 13:53:02 +0000
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