“Be strong and courageous: don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.”

-Deuteronomy 31:6

No one sees me. 

I feel so alone.

Have you ever said or thought these words to yourself?

I have, on countless occasions in my life. And, in full transparency, it was only a few weeks ago that I thought these exact words to myself. 

I have been going through a season recently where I feel very isolated and alone in my thoughts. I feel like I am standing in a big open field and no matter which way I turn, all I see is emptiness going on and on with no end in sight. Even though I have several people around me who love me and care for me and would do anything for me, I sometimes still have a feeling of not being understood. A notion that I am the only one feeling alone in these thoughts. 

Sometimes I can feel like a connection I am longing for is missing, and then I am left wondering if I am the only one desiring this certain connection.

Does this ever happen to you?

I think we can all maybe relate to these feelings of isolation and loneliness in some way. We have had to experience literal isolation from people over the last two years due to the pandemic. While that isolation has been so difficult, I think pandemic or not, we all struggle at varying times in our life with wanting to feel like we belong. We long for someone to see us and to understand us. Whether we are left out from a group of friends, looked over for a job position, ignored when we try to speak up, or stuck in the shame of our fears and anxieties, we can feel like we are the only ones fighting the battle. 

Alone. Isolated. That is exactly where the evil one wants us to be. When we are stuck in feelings of loneliness and isolation we are in prime territory for Satan to continue feeding us with lies and leaving us feeling hopeless. 

God is the only one that can connect with our heart the way it longs for. He is the one who created our hearts and knows our deepest longings.

-Beth McCarthy

But friend, you and I don’t need to stay there because we are never really alone. In Deuteronomy 31:6 Moses tells us, “ Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. “  Moses spoke these words to all of Israel right before he handed the reigns over to Joshua to lead the Israelites. As the Israelites forged ahead on their journey, Moses assured them of God’s constant presence. Moses worked to instill hope in them and to urged them to rely on their faith in God. 

Friend, Moses’ words are just as true for us today. Even when we feel like we are stuck in an empty field isolated from everyone and everything, God is there with us. He will never abandon us. God sees every single one of us. He sees us when no one else does. He understands us when no one else does. And, He holds that connection we are all longing for. God is the only one that can connect with your heart the way it longs for. He is the one who created our hearts and knows our deepest longings.

“ Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone and afflicted. The distresses of my heart increase; bring me out of my sufferings.” 

Psalm 25:16-17

So when we find ourselves plagued with feelings of isolation and loneliness, we can call on God just as David did in Psalm 25: 16-17. David says to God “ Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone and afflicted. The distresses of my heart increase; bring me out of my sufferings.” 

Like David, we can remember to:

Call out to God + Lay our loneliness down +Ask God for Help

Call Out to God. Often by just calling out to God, I am met with God connecting with me in some way to let me know He is there. This first step always brings immediate comfort just knowing I am truly not alone. 

Lay our loneliness down. Surrender your lonely feelings to God. Tell God how you feel and what in your heart is empty. Sometimes I just sit there with God in my emptiness. He feels your emptiness too. He will sit with us as long as we need Him to.

Ask God for Help. God wants us to ask Him to help us out of our loneliness. I have started asking God to give reminders that He is with me and understands me whenever I start to fall into loneliness.  

In a world where human connection seems to be faltering, we need to rest in the truth that we are never truly alone. We have a God that is always near and wants to connect with us in companionship and fill our hearts with a love that can only come from Him. 

Dear Lord, I often feel like I am alone in this world. I feel unseen, unheard, and struggle to find the connection with others that my heart longs for. Lord, when I feel this way I often believe the enemy’s lies that isolate me from your love and trap me in feelings of deep loneliness. Lord, when these feelings start to plague me, remind me that you are near. Remind me that I am never alone and you will never abandon me. Fill me with the love and connection my heart longs for and help me fight the enemies lies with your truth-filled words. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Music has always been an outlet I turn to when I am feeling lonely. Click below to get access to my playlist. These songs bring me comfort in my lonely seasons and remind me that God is always with me. I hope these songs can bring life to any loneliness you are experiencing.