When you’re lonely, remember God is… omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? (Psalm 139:7 ESV)
God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Those are some fancy theological terms you can file under: Attributes of God. God knows all things, can do all things, and is everywhere at the same time. But this is more than just interesting information. Especially these days, when a pandemic can lock us up in quarantine or isolation, we need to remember we’re never alone. God is with us, he understands us, and he is powerful to help.
When I was single, Sunday afternoon was the loneliest time of the week. I worked five days a week, and on Saturday I did household chores. On Sunday morning I went to church, where I was wrapped in the warm fellowship of my church friends. At the beginning of the service, I stood on the stage surrounded by my fellow choir members and blended my voice with theirs in song. After the singing, I scanned the congregation and found a chair next to fellow worshipers. I bowed my head and joined my heart with theirs in prayer.
But when the pastor gave the final benediction, I walked out the door, down the steps, and across the parking lot… alone. I was the solitary passenger in my little beige Camry. My friends scattered on their way to Sunday dinner with their spouses, children, parents, and grandparents. I usually went home to an empty house.
So on those quiet Sunday afternoons, I relied on God to fill the emptiness in my heart. As I read the Bible, I’d come across verses that seemed to be written just for me. God knew the aching in my heart; he understood me like no one else could. In the quiet and solitude, without the drone of activity and distractions of busyness, I heard from God. But God created us for community, and he knows we need human contact. So sometimes, when God knew I needed to hear a friendly voice, the phone would ring.
Then the voice on the other end would declare, “I was just thinking about you and thought I’d call.”
God had spoken to one of his obedient children and told them I needed a phone call.
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it. Psalm 139:1-6 ESV
I’ve had other lonely times in my life…times of solitude.
—Lonely recess periods when I was the new kid in my second grade class.
—Quiet weekends alone in my college dorm room when my roommates were gone.
—Solitary times when the person closest to my heart was far away.
—–Isolated times when I was surrounded by a crowd of people, but no one cared to know my name.
You probably have stories of loneliness, too. At some point, most of us experience lonely moments. But God is omnipresent. No matter where we travel, he’s never far away. In the darkness when no one is around to chase imaginary monsters from the closet, God is there. He’s omniscient. He knows our thoughts, and he understands.
So when you’re the stranger, the new kid in town, the foreigner, or the outcast, God is watching, and remember he cares deeply about you. Wherever you are, lying in the hospital bed, sitting the courtroom, or fighting in a battle zone, awake or asleep, the omnipresent God is with you. He sees your heart. He’s ready to take you by the hand and lead you out of loneliness. God has the power to help. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
Psalm 139 is a good passage to memorize. It will remind you of your value to God and his great care for you.
Father, I cherish your Presence. I’m so glad you know me and understand me. I’m so glad you are never far away, so I am never really alone. You know what I need, and you have the power to provide it. You speak to me in ways that remind me of your presence and care, and you can provide human contact when that is what I truly need. I love you and thank you.
