A family for the lonely ∙
I hold you by your right hand – I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. – Isaiah 41:13
Psalms 68:4-6
4 Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD – rejoice in his presence!
5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows – this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
6 God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
There is an epidemic of loneliness raging across America. In the decade preceding the COVID-19 epidemic, nearly 30% of older Americans lived alone. Some 40% said they sometimes or always felt their social relationships were not meaningful, and 20% said they felt lonely or socially isolated.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the problem. A report by Harvard University researchers found that 36% of Americans are experiencing “serious loneliness,” and some groups, such as young adults and mothers with small children, are especially isolated (Harvard GSE Report, February 2021).
What is loneliness? Loneliness is linked to the quality of one’s relationships. “Social science researchers define loneliness as the emotional state created when people have fewer social contacts and meaningful relationships than they would like – relationships that make them feel known and understood. Essentially, if you feel lonely, you are lonely” (The Week, January 6, 2019).
“Loneliness is the state of distress or discomfort that results when one perceives a gap between one’s desires for social connection and actual experiences of it. Even some people who are surrounded by others throughout the day – or are in a long-lasting marriage – still experience deep and pervasive loneliness” (Psychology Today).
Feelings of isolation, emptiness, and a lack of meaningful connections with others characterize loneliness. It can occur regardless of the number of people around a person and affects individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Loneliness can have both short-term and long-term effects on mental and physical well-being.
A lack of social connectedness is, for many, very painful. Human beings made in the image of the Father have an innate desire to establish connections.
The Father delights in taking tender care of the children of the King. The Father crafted abundant provisions to address the challenges of solitude and seclusion. “God’s majesty never implies his remoteness from those who look to him; it implies instead his exhaustive attention to detail, and his inexhaustible ability to care for his faithful” (ESV notes).
REFLECT & PRAY
“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying” (Arthur C. Clarke).
Father thank You for preparing a family, a home for each lonely child of the King. You know exactly who and what we need.
INSIGHT
The Father protects those who are weakest. He is a father to the fatherless (orphans) and an advocate, defender of the widows, protector of the unfortunate, and dispossessed. As a group, orphans and widows are defenseless. They have no one to protect them. Therefore, the Father personally assumes the role of their protector and guardian.
Deuteronomy 10:18 He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice.
Psalms 68:5 He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows.
But the Father is more than a protector, He emerges as a formidable warrior, championing the plight of the underprivileged and oppressed. In the days of the old West, He might have been likened to a lawman, staunchly upholding justice. He defends those who are the least of the least in society.
As children of the King consider the mighty works of their warrior King, the psalmist invites them to sing, to praise, and make music to His name.
Psalms 68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Exalt the one who rides on the clouds! For the LORD is his name! Rejoice before him!
He is depicted as one who “rides on the sky” or “rides in the clouds.” It is intended as “a poetic description of God’s exalted majesty” (Ross).
This word picture borrows an epitaph of the culture of the day. The mythological storm god Baal was called “the one who rides on the clouds.” This expresses a common intercultural theme of the time. Much like in 21st-century Western culture, almost everyone knows what the Super Bowl is or who Mr. Spock was. And we have common expressions we use, “yada, yada, yada,” “have a nice day,” or “be safe.” “This theme of the Divine Warrior is always closely associated with God’s justice and support for the least of society” (NICOT).
The Father does something delightful and marvelous for those who are alone or desolate. He finds and provides a place for them, a home, a family. The Hebrew word translated as home or family is bayit. Bayit is literally a house, dwelling, building, and thus family or household.
God makes a home for the lonely (he places the lonely in families). – Psalms 68:6
There is a place for each child of the King, a family, a home on earth, and in heaven for all eternity. How marvelous and beautiful.
John 14:2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, I would have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you.
Children of the King will be with the Father for all eternity. The Father is with each child of the King now and forever.
Matthew 28:20 I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
The Lord Jesus Christ made an awe-inspiring promise that He would remain with His followers throughout all their days until the conclusion of the age. His words aren’t a mere promise of future presence; they emphatically declare, “I am with you,” a resounding affirmation of his unwavering presence. This promise holds the certainty of assurance and the timeless perspective, transcending the confines of here and there. When did this begin? His companionship started when we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. It extends indefinitely, reaching even to the end of existence itself.
Are you feeling lonely?
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
Somewhere (Barbra Streisand)
There’s a place for us Somewhere a place for us
Peace and quiet and open air Wait for us somewhere
There’s a time for us Someday a time for us
Time together with time to spare
Time to learn And time to care
Someday Somewhere
We’ll find a new way of living We’ll find there’s a way of forgiving
Somewhere There’s a place for us (a place for us) Somewhere there is a place for us
Hold my hand, and we’re halfway there Hold my hand, and I’ll take you there
Someday, someday, somewhere, somewhere
We’ll find a new way of living We’ll find there’s a way of forgiving
Somewhere There’s a place for us A time and a place for us.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 6-10-1
© Dr. H 2023
Dr H Reflections 