I didn’t expect the loneliness.
When the world shut down, people took sides, cultural wars raged at home, and bombs fell halfway across the globe, I wasn’t prepared for the deep sense of isolation that came with it.
Usually, I don’t need much social interaction, but the loneliness still found me, catching me off guard with its intensity. What was I lonely for? It wasn’t so much the lack of companionship as it was the longing for comfort.
In this prolonged season of upheaval, relief feels out of reach. Just when we think things might improve, they worsen—more losses, insecurity, and uncertainty. We keep picking ourselves up, trying to carry on, only to be knocked down again. The barrage of bad news, the erosion of moral values, the opposition to God’s Word, and the attacks on our families come so fast that we barely have time to process them before the next crisis arrives.
This exhaustion can leave us drowning in loneliness. Constant turmoil creates a sense of isolation, even when we’re all going through it together. Loneliness—whether emotional, physical, or spiritual—becomes a prison, isolating us and dominating our thoughts. It convinces us that we’re alone in our grief, separated by our pain, and this loneliness only adds to the weight we carry.
David understood this well. He poured out his heart to God: “My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish” (Psalm 25:15-17, NIV).
David, a great king and warrior, wasn’t afraid to admit his loneliness. Perhaps that’s the key. In his words, I find courage. This is God’s cure for loneliness—that we share our collective loneliness with Him and others and find relief.
Whatever you’re facing today, let this truth wash over you: You are not alone.
