"When I Feel All Alone"

written by Rob Bailes

But You're Never Alone!

I'm sure that many of us may have heard this in our lives at some point. I know I've heard it from my mother, father, best of friends and pastors over the years but it really doesn't sink in until we actually are in the middle of a crisis or maybe a conflict in life and we feel as though our prayers are going unheard. We may feel like our communication is cut off because of the circumstances in our life.
The reason I can say this is because I have been there too, my friend. Yes, I have and my life is no different than any of your lives in that we all are just as susceptible to experiencing the very same things! We are all just a decision away from going through what may seem like the most difficult moment of our lives. It happens every day to people just like you and I!

Children or their peers sometimes make choices that lead them into fatal accidents that leave a parent aching with loneliness for their child. A spouse decides to give up working at a relationship and seek out other means of fulfilling their desires, leaving the other feeling rejected, hurt and alone. A best friend suddenly looses trust because of something that someone else has deceitfully said about you and you have found yourself without the security that was built in knowing you had a friend in whom you could confide. Your co-worker has decided that it is their best interest to be dishonest and point blame at you by meeting with your boss behind closed doors; leading to their promotion or your demotion. You have found yourself betrayed, hurt and maybe even exposed by the one you trusted and felt was so sincere in their care for you; later to find that they only had ulterior motives.

There are many situations when we can feel betrayed, like no one's listening, alone and hopeless in life and these moments can come without warning!

I can offer to pray for you, take you into the church and pray over you, take you into the support groups and find compassion and understanding for you; even get you counseling to help you understand why things happened like they did, but I cannot take your feelings of hurt and loneliness away, no matter how hard I try!

Have you ever noticed how quickly your child reacts when they fall and skin their knee or elbow? The first thing that they do is to run to you for some immediate comfort! Right? They need you to hold them and tell them it's going to be ok, but we cannot heal their wounds. The best thing we can do is to wash it off, apply some ointment and maybe a bandage and then try to get them to think about something else that they will enjoy! Right? It amazes me how long my child will whine and cry about a minor injury as long as I don't stop and give her some attention. Why is that?

We are made to desire love and care, especially when we are hurt! Just think about the words of Jesus on the cross when He was in so much pain and suffering. Jesus cried out on the cross to His father for compassion. Let's read,

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

No matter how small the pain or how large the crisis, we long for compassion and the care of our father. We usually call our earthly father first, followed by calling out to our heavenly father. Why? Because we were made, given life, allowed the freedom to sin and adopted back into the family of Christ by our Father in Heaven which all proves His love for us. We run to those we know will love us! Another thing I noticed about a child that has sustained an injury is that they look around for the one whose arms are held out to accept them. I have seen a child get hurt and look all the way around the room, but the first person that holds out their arms is the one that they will run to.

This is what David of the Psalms was looking for when he wrote Psalm thirteen. David was feeling deserted and alone as his enemy was seeking to take his life! He wanted God to wipe them out and let him live a life of love and protection and security, but God was teaching David something important. When you read today's scripture below, notice how David's song changes towards the end of the chapter and he affirms his confidence. David doesn't say, "I will trust".

He says, "I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me."

There was a period when I had felt so weary and it seemed that all that I did kept returning to me bad results! It seemed as though there was no possibility of ever maintaining peace with the ones who were mistreating me. I was so miserable that I had reached a point of almost feeling as though I had no hope for living, just as David states in verse three of Psalms thirteen. It seemed like those who had it in for me were shouting the victory and laughing in my face as they attacked my very character in an attempt to get me to react in my flesh and attack back. You will see how David also felt this way when he says in verse four that those who troubled him rejoice when he is moved!

As I was going to work, I had just gotten off of my cell phone following another attack on my spirit and character while sitting at a stop light. Dropping my head down to the steering wheel, I said out loud, "Oh LORD, I have trusted in you and I know that you are going to save me from this, BUT what do I do right now to get through this moment! Please help me know what to do right now!". When I raised my head from the steering wheel the light had changed and the traffic had begun to move forward. Just as the car in front of me began to roll away the license plate delivered a message that only my Lord and Savior could have possibly orchestrated that day! The license tag on the car in front of me read in quotations, "YE SING" !

I couldn't believe my eyes! I had read this chapter in Psalms before but it had faded into the back of my mind. God knew what I needed in this very moment and in every moment that I felt this loneliness. I tried to think of a song that I had sang most of my life growing up and the first thing that came to mind was "Sweetest Name I Know".

Come on! Sing with me today!

There's within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still
In all of life's ebb and flow

Though sometimes he leads through waters deep
Trials fall across the way
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep
See his footprints all the way

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Sweetest name I know
Fills my every longing
Keeps me singing as I go

Feasting on the riches of his grace
Resting ‘neath the sheltering wing
Always looking on his smiling face
That is why I shout and sing



Words of Wisdom

Psalm 13:1-6 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.