There are believers in Christ who are lonely in their circumstances, by virtue of limited mobility or distance from a gathering centre for believers, but find encouragement from Christian broadcasts on the media and contact with others using the many forms of communication available today.
There are also Christian believers across the globe who have suffered the loss of all close family members through persecution, and are unable to communicate with others of similar faith, but remain true to their convictions, even in their loneliness combined with their vulnerability. They are ‘strengthened with might through [God’s] Spirit’ and prove the reality of Christ dwell[ing] in [their] hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:16,17); that was Paul’s (and God’s) desire for every Christian in Ephesus in the first century and it is God’s desire for all Christians today.
At a very different level, there are those who think they stand alone for God and, as a result, become discouraged.
The record of the experience of Elijah speaks to all these situations although perhaps especially to the last one. Elijah was feeling very sorry for himself, as a result of one woman threatening his life, despite having just witnessed a great demonstration of God’s power against all odds. He was overcome by loneliness.
God did at least two things for Elijah. He first revealed Himself to him, not in a further dramatic display of might, but through a gentle voice that brought comfort. God speaks tenderly to all who are down in the valley as Elijah was; He is the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3), whose very presence brings comfort. Then secondly, God put things in perspective. He informed Elijah that he wasn’t alone; there were 7,000 others among his countrymen who had remained loyal to God. We can be sure that, although the numbers may be different, the principle holds true today.
If you are a Christian, please be encouraged – you are not alone.
