When Loneliness Settles Deeply Into Our Hearts
There have been many times in my life when I felt alone, and it wasn't just because there were no people around me. Sometimes the loneliest seasons happen when you are surrounded by people, smiling at church, showing up for your family, and doing what needs to be done, yet you are carrying something on the inside that no one can see.
As a pastor's wife whose husband traveled frequently, I often felt like I could not share the struggles I was facing in my life and marriage. I was surrounded by people who loved me, but I still carried burdens I felt I had to bear in silence. I was around people constantly, yet there were moments when loneliness settled deeply into my heart.
Then, when my marriage ended, I found myself raising my children on my own. I was working, paying bills, making decisions, trying to provide, trying to be strong, and trying to keep life moving forward. There were days when the weight of responsibility felt overwhelming. I remember wondering how I was going to make it through another day.
It was a difficult season. And at times, it felt very lonely. Maybe you know what that feels like. Maybe you are surrounded by family, friends, coworkers, or church members, yet inside you feel isolated. Maybe you are carrying a burden that no one else knows about. Maybe you are walking through something you have not had the words to explain. Maybe people see the outside version of you, but they do not know what it has cost you to keep standing.
Maybe you have wondered, "Does anyone really understand what I am going through?"
You Are Not Alone
I want to encourage you today with a truth that has sustained me through some of the hardest seasons of my life: you are not alone. One of my favorite promises in Scripture is found in Hebrews 13:5: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (NIV).
God does not promise that we will never face hardship. He does not promise that life will always be easy. He does not promise that every person will understand us, support us, or stand with us the way we hoped they would. But He does promise this: He will never leave us.
Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you" (NIV).
Those verses have comforted me many times. When people failed me, when circumstances seemed impossible, and when I did not know what tomorrow would hold, I could still hold on to the certainty that God was with me.
There were moments when I did not feel strong. But God was with me. There were moments when I did not have answers. But God was with me. There were moments when I felt unseen. But God was with me. And He is with you too. (Photo via Unsplash)
Even Jesus experienced what it felt like to be alone. As He hung on the cross, He cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46 NIV). Jesus was carrying the weight of the world's sin. He was enduring unimaginable suffering. In His humanity, He expressed the anguish that so many of us have felt in painful seasons.
Earlier, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked His disciples to watch and pray with Him. He was about to face the most difficult moment of His earthly life, and He wanted those closest to Him to stand with Him. But when He returned, He found them sleeping. He asked, "Could you not keep watch with Me one hour?" (Matthew 26:40 ABPE). Even Jesus knew the pain of feeling unsupported by the people closest to Him. That is why this matters so deeply.
Jesus Enters Your Loneliness with You
Jesus does not look at your loneliness as an outsider. He does not speak to your pain from a distance. He stepped into human sorrow. He knew what it felt like to need people and have them fall asleep. He knew what it felt like to be misunderstood. He knew what it felt like to cry out in anguish when the weight was too much to carry.
So when you are sitting in your car, trying to pull yourself together before walking into the house, He understands. When you are lying awake at night wondering how you are going to make it through, He understands. When you are surrounded by people but still feel completely unseen, He understands. And here is the beautiful thing: Jesus does not just understand your loneliness; He enters it with you.
He does not shame you for feeling weak. He does not rebuke you for needing comfort. He does not walk away because your faith feels fragile. He comes close.
Lonely Places Are Not Abandoned Places
I imagine Jonah felt alone in the belly of the great fish. Yet that lonely place became a place of reflection, repentance, and restoration.
I imagine Job felt alone when he lost his possessions, his health, and many of the people he loved. Even his friends misunderstood him. Yet in the middle of all that pain, God was not absent. Even in Job's loneliness, God was proving His faithfulness and showing that his trust in the Lord was deeper than his circumstances.
The apostle Paul spent time in prison, separated from many of the people he cared about. Yet God remained with him, strengthened him, and continued to use him.
Lonely places are not always abandoned places. Sometimes they become the very places where God speaks, heals, restores, and reminds us, "I am still here."
He Will Not Let You Drown
One of my favorite examples is Peter walking on the water. Peter stepped out of the boat because Jesus called him. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he did something impossible. But when he looked at the wind and the waves around him, fear took over, and he began to sink.
How often do we do the same thing? We start looking at our circumstances instead of looking at God. We focus on the storm instead of the Savior. We see the waves of financial pressure, health issues, family struggles, disappointments, heartbreak, unanswered questions, and private battles. Before long, we begin to feel overwhelmed. But Peter was not alone on the water. Jesus was there. When Peter cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him. Jesus did not let Peter drown. And He will not let you drown either.
There have been times when I felt overwhelmed by life, times when I wondered how everything would work out, and times when I felt like I was carrying burdens no one else could see. Yet every time, God proved Himself faithful, not always in the way I expected, not always on the timeline I would have chosen, but always faithfully. (Photo via Unsplash)
Jesus is always with us in our darkest moments, and the Holy Spirit is always there to comfort us. Jesus promised, "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever" (John 14:16 KJV). The Holy Spirit walks beside us through every trial, every disappointment, every loss, and every lonely season. He comforts us when words are not enough. He strengthens us when we feel weak. He reminds us that we belong to God, even when life feels uncertain.
Bearing One Another's Burdens
God did not intend for us to walk through life alone. He also gave us the Body of Christ. My dad used to say, "The banana that gets peeled away from the bunch is the one that gets eaten." I have never forgotten that.
When we are hurt, our natural tendency is often to withdraw. We build walls around our hearts because we do not want to be hurt again. We isolate ourselves because it feels safer. But isolation is one of the enemy's favorite tools. The enemy loves to convince us that no one cares, no one understands, and no one can be trusted. He wants us separated, silent, and discouraged, but God designed us for relationship.
He designed us to encourage one another, pray for one another, strengthen one another, and help carry one another's burdens. Galatians 6:2 tells us, "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (NKJV). Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35 NIV).
Sometimes God comforts us directly through His presence. Other times, He comforts us through a friend, a pastor, a family member, or a fellow Believer who comes alongside us and reminds us that we are loved. I know it can be difficult to open up. I know people can sometimes be judgmental. I know vulnerability can feel risky, especially when you have been hurt before, but I also know there are people who genuinely care.
There are brothers and sisters in Christ who want to pray with you, encourage you, and help you through your storm. You do not have to tell everyone everything, but do not believe the lie that you have to carry everything alone. So if you are feeling alone today, remember this:
• God sees you.
• God knows what you are facing.
• God has not abandoned you.
Jesus is reaching out His hand to you just as He reached out to Peter. The Holy Spirit is comforting you. And God has placed people around you who can help carry your burdens.
Do not isolate yourself. Stay connected to God. Stay connected to His people. Let someone pray with you. Let someone encourage you. Let someone walk beside you. No matter what you are facing today, no matter how heavy it feels, no matter how unseen you may feel in this moment, the truth remains: You are not alone.
Whatever you do, don't miss another ELIJAH LIST email! Subscribe at this link: elijahlist.com/subscribe.
Sherilyn Hamon-Miller
CEO of Christian International
Email:Â ci-info@christianinternational.com
Website:Â christianinternational.com
Sherilyn Hamon-Miller serves as CEO of Christian International Ministries. Sherilyn Hamon-Miller also functions as the administrator and personal assistant to Dr. Bill Hamon. She is the only daughter of Drs. Bill and Evelyn Hamon, blessed with four children, two children-in-law, and seven delightful grandchildren. She lives in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Sherilyn's diverse experiences in business, ministry, and life have endowed her with unique insights into effective life management.
To receive more words like this in YOUR inbox, subscribe FREE to the Elijah List at this link: elijahlist.com/subscribe.
Thank you for making the always-free "ElijahStreams" possible. To partner with us, click here.
Your donations truly help us keep these emails free for you. Donate at:
Find us on:
* Facebook click here
