WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY TO LONELY PEOPLE? (1 SAM. 12:12)

    TIME AND AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT, WE FIND THE LORD REACHING OUT TO HIS PEOPLE, REVEALING HIMSELF TO THEM, DESIRING TO BE WITH THEM AND TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. IN 1 SAMUEL 12:12, WE FIND THIS PROMISE OF GOD: '' FOR THE LORD WILL NOT FORSAKE HIS PEOPLE, FOR HIS GREAT NAME'S SAKE, BECAUSE IT HAS PLEASED THE LORD TO MAKE YOU HIS PEOPLE.''  GOD DESIRES COMPANIONSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, AND COMMUNION WITH THOSE WHO WILL RECIPROCATE HIS EXPRESSIONS OF FRIENDSHIP.

   WE CAN COUNT ON THE CLOSE COMMUNION OF THE LORD, EVEN IF EVERYONE ELSE ABANDONS US. WE SEE THE LIFE OF JESUS. ON THE VERY NIGHT HE WAS ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL-TRIAL THAT LED TO HIS CRUCIFIXION- HE SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, '' INDEED THE HOUR IS COMING, YES , HAS NOW COME , THAT YOU WILL BE SCATTERED, EACH TO HIS OWN, AND LEAVE ME ALONE. '' CAN YOU HEAR THE PAIN IN THE STATEMENT? JESUS KNEW WHAT IT WAS TO BE LONELY! BUT THEN HE SAID, '' AND YET I AM NOT ALONE, BECAUSE THE FATHER IS WITH ME'' ( JOHN 16:32 ). JESUS KNEW WHAT IT WAS TO BE COMFORTED EVEN IN THE FACE OF ABANDONMENT.

 WHEN THE LONELINESS ENGULFS US, THE FIRST THING WE MUST DO IS TO TURN OUR FOCUS AWAY FROM WHAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WHAT WE DO HAVE. WHAT DO WE HAVE!
                     GOD HIMSELF!

    YOU CAN NEVER BE ALONE ONCE YOU HAVE TRUSTED JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR. HE PROMISES THAT HE DWELLS WITHIN YOU WHEN YOU HAVE RECEIVED HIM INTO YOUR LIFE AND THAT HE IS CONNECTED TO YOU, JUST AS A VINE AND ITS BRANCH ARE CONNECTED. IN THE SAME WAY THE THAT SAP FLOWS THOUGH A VINE AND ITS BRANCHES, SO TOO THE LOVE OF CHRIST FLOWS IN YOU AND THOUGH YOU. HE ABIDES IN YOU, AND ABIDE IN HIM. YOU ARE ONE BEING WITH CHRIST. YOU SHARE WITH HIM THE MOST INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP POSSIBLE-AN ETERNAL, SPIRITUAL INTIMACY                 (SEE JOHN 15:1-9).

     THE DEPTH OF THAT INTIMACY, TO A GREAT EXTENT, IS UP TO YOU. HOW MUCH DO YOU DESIRE THAT INTIMACY WITH THE LORD? HOW MUCH DO ALLOW HIM TO FILL YOU UP WITH HIS PRESENCE? HOW WILLING ARE YOU FOR HIM TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO YOU ? EVEN SO, YOU CAN NEVER TOTALLY ISOLATE YOURSELF FROM THE LORD. HE IS ALWAYS THERE, DESIRING TO MOVE EVER CLOSER TO YOU.