Psalms for Lent: For the Lonely

18 years.

18 years the woman had been disfigured.
18 years the woman had been crumpled over.
18 years the woman had heard the comments.

“Do you see the hump? What happened to her?”
“She looks just like Quasimodo. She’s a hunchback.”
“Oh, child – don’t go near her. You don’t know where she’s been.”

Her daughters used to come around – sure. But lately they had not wanted to be seen by her.
The same with her friends – their friendships stopped as the ridicule started. They didn’t want to be a part of it.
Every once in a while, a passerby would stop over her – drop a penny in her jar, tell her that “it’d be ok,” and they were “glad to meet her” but that was the end of it.

No new friendships blossomed.
None of these people returned. 
Nobody seemed to care.

She was all alone.
 
That loneliness? It was powerful. It sunk to the bottom depths of our soul. It filled her with sadness – a deep and dark depression – an expectation that nobody cared about it. Not even God.

Until.

In the midst of another day alone with her darkest thoughts, a voice called out to her. This voice was different. It wasn’t mocking. It wasn’t pitying. It wasn’t talking about her or above her or down at her.

It was talking to her.

The owner of the voice was surrounded by a group of people. They all seemed to be very invested in what he had to say. But he seemed to only be invested in her. He called her over to him, “Dear woman – come here.”

This was different.
This was caring.
This felt wonderful.

And when she did hobble over – his gentleness not changing after he saw her disfiguration – she felt a peace overcome her.

He spoke to her, “Dear woman…”
The implication – I see you. I care about you. I am here for you.

Then he said this, “Be set free from your infirmity.” (Luke 13:12)
 
The woman felt a release. She looked at him. He smiled. She slowly straightened. She was healed.

18 years. 18 years – and now she knew – She wasn’t alone. Now she knew – Jesus cared.

Jesus cares about you too. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t times that we feel lonely – I even feel it as a pastor. Today’s Psalm helps to remind us that we are not alone – no matter how much we feel like it. Before we begin, let’s say a prayer: Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see; open our ears to hear what you want us to hear; open our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen.

I.              How Long…Will I Feel Lonely?

Psalm 13 comes from King David again. So - similar to last week – there were lots of ups and downs in David’s career. Lots of good times, but also a lot of bad times. Times he even felt alone.

Like when he marched out to battle a giant of a man named Goliath – while all the other Israelite soldiers cowered.
Or the time when he ran away from the King of Israel – King Saul – who wanted to kill David before he took his throne.
Or he time when his own son, Absalom – tried to take the crown away from David, his dad – ousting him from the palace and turning the half the nation against him.
 
Pick one of those times – any of those times – and you get a sense of the loneliness that King David was feeling. Listen to what he writes,

How long LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Do you see the repeated question? How long... The implication is that David has been feeling very sad and lonely for what seems like – at least to David – a very long time.


Look at his accusations?


How long will you forget me? As if the Lord of heaven above – the very one formed him, created him, and Scripture says, “Anointed him specially to be king over Israel,” had forgotten all about him!

How long will you hide your face from me? As if David and God were playing a game of hide and seek, but God was refusing to come out – even after David had shouted, “Olly olly oxen free!”
 
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts? There’s this picture of a spiritual WrestleMania that was going on with David. The voice saying, “God loves you,” going one on one with the voice that says, “God hates you.” The thought of “I’m alone,” facing off in an iron man match against the thought, “God is with me.” The comfort of “God is with me,” being put into submission by the terror that “you are all alone.”
 
How long will my enemy triumph over me?  Again – we don’t know exactly which enemy is referring to. Saul? David considered him God’s representative. Absalom? That was David’s son. One of the Philistines? Maybe.

But there could be another option.
Another enemy at work.
Another enemy that’s always at work.
An enemy that achieves that was achieving a great victory when he convinced David – God’s chosen instrument – that God wasn’t with him. 
 
I’m talking about The Enemy - the devil.
 
What about you?
Do you feel like God has forgotten you?
Do you think he is hiding his face from you?
Do you find yourself wrestling with your thoughts against God’s promises?
Do you find yourself feeling – alone?


There’s a television show that took place around 2004. It was called Solitary. The premise of the show was that people would volunteer to be locked in a room without anyone else. The only one to talk to them was a giant robot named VAL. (Great name for a heartless, evil robot by the way) The show then served 2 purposes -- #1 it gave away $500,000 to the one who lasted in the room the longest, but #2 – more interesting – it showed how the human being reacts to being alone – to feeling alone.

It wasn’t good. Usually contestants left in tears, broke down or shouted at the top of their lungs until they were removed.

That’s because we are creatures that are meant to be together. Even back in the garden of Eden – “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two become one flesh.” (Genesis 2) Granted – that’s talking about the special relationship between a husband and a wife, but it’s also true that God wanted humans to exist in community. To communicate with each other. To be with each other. To be together.

That’s why being alone…is so hard. That’s why it leads to such depression. That’s why it leads to very dark feelings.

And that’s why when you feel that way – cry out to God! Look at how David’s heart cried out. Hear his cry for help:
 
                3 Look on me and answer; Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
    And my foes will rejoice when I fall.
 
Maybe that’s your cry.
Maybe you want God to answer.
Maybe, you want him to show you, to prove to you that you aren’t alone.

Listen to what comes next
 
II.           How Long will God be with You?
 

                5 But I trust in your unfailing love.
 
There’s that key word again – one of the most key words in all of Scripture: But. But means “There’s more.” But means, “There’s a contrasting truth.” But means, “Listen and hear how God fixes things.”

Look at the phrase that follows. I trust in your unfailing love.
 
Here is the difference between humans and God. Human friendships last for a time. Eventually – they end. Whether it’s from distance, busyness, arguments or death.
Human friendships last for a time, but eventually fail.

If you trust in human friendships to give you community, these friendship will fail you. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day. They will.

But if you trust in God? If God is the source of your community?

Listen again – His love is unfailing.
There is no mountain high enough.
There is no valley low enough.
There is no river wide enough.
To keep Him from you.

He’s never too busy.
He does not die – he’s eternal.

And when we’ve been argumentative? When we’ve been sinful? When our refusal to commune with him has set up this barrier of sin?

He knocks it down!
 
Like my dog, Clay. He’s fairly loyal. He loves to be by his owners whenever he can. If he’s ever separated from his owners, he starts to whine. It’s kind of obnoxious – definitely high pitched. But comforting to know how much he wants to be with us.

With our new house – there’s a patio in back. The back patio has a screen door. One of the reasons that we got a new house was so that we could let them in the back yard to play. We specifically thought the dogs would like the yard.

And they do. But the first time we left Clay in the back yard? He whined. He barked. He scratched. He –literally – broke through the screen door and made his way into the living room just to be with us.

God’s love is similar.
God’s love is better.

When our sins separated us from God – he came down to earth. He busted through the barrier of sin. He died gruesomely on the cross; he went into the grave; he rose triumphantly from death – and broke down the barrier between you and him.

Do you hear that? Listen again – When you had separated yourself from God – God did the unthinkable – He gave up his life to bring you back to Him!

Still think that no one cares about you? God’s love is unfailing. It hasn’t changed. It hasn’t lessened. It hasn’t grown weaker. He still loves you and cares for you with the same incredible desire.

Meaning?

You are not alone.
God is with you.
 
 
III.        What Now?
 
 
(1) Look Where You’re At!
 
Did you notice what it says in verse 6. My heart rejoices in your salvation. That’s the same heart that earlier was filled with hurt. Earlier was filled with sadness. Earlier was filled with loneliness.

Now? It’s filled with joy. Why?

Because it is In God’s salvation.

Pastor, am I in God’s salvation?
Do you believe in Jesus?

Then, look where you’re at. You’re in God’s salvation. That means you’re with God. Because God is in God’s salvation. He’s there. You’re there. You’re together.

You aren’t alone.

No matter what you’re going through.

Financial hardships? Not alone.
Relational struggles? Not alone.
Disconnected from people? Not alone.

God is with you. You are in his salvation.
 
(2) Sing!
Because what other way can you react when you realize that your incredible God is right beside you!?!

It’s like a musical! People break out into song all the time. They break out into song when they find someone they have a crush on. They break into song when it’s a “beautiful morning.” They break out into song when they are seeing the “Wells Fargo wagon coming down the street.”

How awesome to know that your loving, incredible, forgiving, all powerful, all loving God is with you and will never leave you!
 
(3) Look Who Else is With You

Finally, look at who else is with you. Because if you’re in God’s salvation and your neighbor is in God’s salvation and I’m in God’s salvation – many of us are in God’s salvation – It’s not a very lonely room. It’s a packed house.

Lean on our brothers and sisters. Feeling lonely? Tell them. Talk to them. Work on building relationships here so that you have someone to uplift you and remind you that you are not alone.

And if someone comes to you for that encouragement? Give it to them. Don’t ignore them. In fact, if you see someone who looks lonely, could you go out of your way to show love to them? Just like God went out of his way to show love to you.


BOTTOM LINE:

God is with you.
And if God is with you – then you know that even the dark time you are experiencing now – will go away.

Why?

Because look how David finishes the Psalm – The Lord has done good things for me.
 
David remembered how he felt alone with Goliath – but God helped him defeat the giant.
David remembered how he felt alone with Saul was attacking him – but God kept him safe.
David remembered how he felt alone when Absalom rebelled – but God defended him.

When God’s there’s, there’s no need to worry.
And…God’s there.

So why worry? Amen.