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Matthew 27:46 (NIV)

“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).” 

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of forsake means “to renounce or turn away from entirely”. If you are feeling lonely, I’m sure you feel forsaken.  You look around you and you feel that there is nothing there and no one who cares.  If you feel this way, you are in good company.

King David struggled with a lot of problems throughout his life.  He was a murderer, and adulterer. He became the one everyone loved when another king was in power. That made king Saul want to kill David.  Read the Psalms and you feel his emotions. In Psalm 22:1, he says “ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” (NIV). 

What I find interesting about this verse is that it is the exact verse Jesus said from the cross. Why did he choose this verse? I think he felt alone.  I think he felt abandoned. I think he felt there was no one left that cared.  I think he felt like king David.

But king David was a king after God’s own heart. 1 Samuel 13:14 (NIV) ^“ But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” I think that Jesus’ prayer was a two-fold prayer. He was reminding God that he felt like king David who was a king after God’s own heart. I may feel forsaken, but God won’t forsake me.

If you feel lonely and forsaken, think about others who have felt the same way.  Seek out advice from them or if they are people from history, read about them and write down what they did and learn from them.

Meditate on this verse. Remind yourself that when you feel lonely, you are in good company.

Deuteronomy 31:8 “ The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid’ do not be discouraged.”

Loneliness Lesson #9-Feeling lonely? You are in good company.