Day 342 | Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Day 342 - Audio Version

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Day 342 | Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Loneliness has been very much a part of our journey since COVID interrupted our lives.  Many of us have not been able to physically be with our family members for over a year.  I believe we have all had moments of loneliness.  We are looking forward to the day when we will be able to socialize again with friends and family.  I read the following recently.  It comes from “Our Daily Bread” and was written by  Lisa M. Samra

“Never Alone Two are better than one.  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”

Ecclesiastes 4:8–10 The Message: 8 a solitary person, completely alone - no children, no family, no friends - yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, "Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?" More smoke. A bad business. 9 It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. 10 And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough! 11 Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. 12 By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.

““It can be an affliction more harrowing than homelessness, hunger or disease,” wrote Maggie Fergusson in The Economist’s 1843 magazine. Her subject? Loneliness. Fergusson chronicled the increasing rates of loneliness, irrespective of one’s social or economic status, using heart-wrenching examples of what it feels like to be lonely.”

“The hurt of feeling alone isn’t new to our day. Indeed, the pain of isolation echoes off the pages of the ancient book of Ecclesiastes. Often attributed to King Solomon, the book captures the sorrow of those who seem to lack any meaningful relationships (4:7–8). The speaker lamented that it’s possible to acquire significant wealth and yet experience no value from it because there’s no one to share it with.”

“But the speaker also recognized the beauty of companionship, writing that friends help you accomplish more than you could achieve on your own (v. 9); companions help in times of need (v. 10); partners bring comfort (v. 11); and friends can provide protection in difficult situations (v. 12).”

“Loneliness is a significant struggle—God created us to offer and receive the benefits of friendship and community. If you’re feeling alone, pray that God would help you form meaningful connections with others. In the meantime, find encouragement in the reality that the believer is never truly alone because Jesus’ Spirit is always with us (Matthew 28:20).”

Reflect & Pray
“How might you reach out to someone who’s lonely? How have you experienced the blessing of God’s Spirit with you when you’ve felt alone?”

“Heavenly Father, when I feel lonely, give me courage to reach out to others with an offer of friendship.” Amen

Today:  Those suffering from loneliness.