“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5).
Henry David Thoreau described a city as a place where many people are “lonesome together”. Those words have the ring of truth. Even some songs from the past like “Mr. Lonely,” “Only the Lonely,” and even “Elanor Rigby” focused on isolation and loneliness. In recent years, the pandemic was one of the most isolating seasons the world has ever known. And social media can feed that loneliness, giving us connection without relationship. Perhaps loneliness is the new pandemic.
As Matthew shared the story of the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25), he told us, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with u’)”. Ponder that for a moment. God with us!
As believers in Jesus, we’re never alone. We’ve been born again into the family of Christ, a family that spans the globe and the ages. The apostle Paul said, “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Ephesians 2:19). We’re loved by the ever-present God, who said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
Whatever you’re facing today, your heavenly Father is present with you. Allow Him to help you as you step into life’s uncertainties and challenges. He’s with you.
Daily Questions
- When have you felt lonely?
- When experiencing this sense of isolation, how do you respond to it?
Daily Prayer
Thank You, Father, that because of Your abiding presence, we are never alone. Fill our hearts with that truth so that we will never falter in fear.
Amen.
Matthew 1:18-25
“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”
“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'”
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).”
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his w3ife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”
Reflection
Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us”. John’s gospel describes His incarnation in this way: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The concept that God is with His people can be seen throughout the Bible. It’s the theme of Psalm 46, where the repeated refrains is: “The Lord Almighty is with us; the god of Jacob is our fortress”. The psalm concludes with this tender appeal to those facing loneliness or any other life challenge: “Be still, and know that I am God”. Whatever we’re facing today, God is with us, and we’re never alone.
No Thought Police 