Tuesday—befriended
Call to Worship
Hear God call you to worship through his word:
Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Confession
Hebrews 4:15–16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Respond by confessing your sins and drawing near to the throne of grace.
Assurance
Receive these words of comfort from God:
Psalm 139:7–12
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
Devotion
Daily Reading: John 14:1-31
A Harvard survey earlier in the year confirmed what many of us already know by experience: Americans are lonely. Not surprisingly, loneliness appears to have increased substantially since the outbreak of COVID. Almost 40% of the respondents to the Harvard survey described themselves as suffering from serious loneliness (feeling lonely “frequently” or “almost all the time or all the time)” This includes 61% of young adults and 51% of mothers with young children.
In a different survey from 2020, NPR reported that loneliness appeared to be more common among men. The survey found 63% of men to be lonely, compared with 58% of women.
Social media use was also tied to loneliness, with 73% of very heavy social media users being considered lonely, as compared with 52% of light users.
The scientific data along with what we know to be true about life, is that feeling alone is a common struggle. Major holidays can also make people feel this way acutely. Even as family gathers, church events happen, and an Easter meal is prepared, an individual can struggle to feel connected, loved, and wanted. The irony of loneliness is that we can feel so alone even when we are surrounded by people.
There are probably a whole host of reasons that contribute to this feeling of loneliness. Maybe a loved one is absent, an expectation is unmet, others appear to have more success or happiness, or perhaps, we can’t quite put our finger on it—there seems to be no explanation to the nagging feeling of loneliness.
In such a lonely world, where should we look for friendship? From a Christian perspective, the answer, at least in part, is to look to Jesus. From the cradle to the cross, Jesus continually promises to be with his people, to never leave them nor forsake them, and to be their friend. Because of Jesus and his work on the cross, you and I never have to fear being alone. In Christ, we are befriended by our Savior forever.
As Christians, we are never alone. We can conclude this because of passages like Matthew 1:23, which reaches all the way back to the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life. Matthew writes, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”
So much emphasis is placed on the first half of the verse, regarding the virgin birth. Some scholars try and explain it away, while skeptics reject the idea of a virgin birth altogether. In the end, the virgin birth can only be explained as miraculous. There simply is no other explanation.
However, there is a second miracle in this verse that is often overlooked. The second miracle is found in our Savior’s name: Immanuel, which means God with us. This great miracle is that God is with us in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus would be the common name for Christ so when we read of this name for the child we are not meant to understand it as a surname per se. Immanuel is a “name” in the sense of title or description of the person. [AA1] We know our Savior most commonly by his common name: Jesus. Yet when we see “Immanuel,” it is more than a surname—it is a title or a description of the person.
Immanuel means God with us. That is to say that God will dwell with and be with his people through Christ.
How incredible!
Matthew not only begins his gospel with the idea of Jesus being with his people, but Matthew ends his gospel with Jesus reassuring them he will continue to be present: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” These are Jesus’ final words recorded in Matthew’s gospel.
It has been said that the last words spoken by someone are his or her most important words. While surely all of Christ’s words are significant, his final words to his followers must not be overlooked: “I am with you until the end.” Surely these famous last words can be a source of encouragement to all of us. We are never alone.
Elsewhere Scripture says:
“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5; Joshua 1:5)
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Even in the midst of the chaos of Jesus’ final evening with his disciples, he communicated his desire to be with his followers forever. In John 14:1-3 Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
In the intimacy of these final moments with his disciples, Jesus explains that he is going to prepare a place for them. Where was Jesus going? He was going to the cross to offer up his life on their behalf. Why was Jesus going there? So that he might be with his disciples forever in his Father’s house.
As Christians we are repeatedly led to believe we are never alone. God is always with us in the present. Even through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), he is with us. And because of Christ’s work on the cross, we will one day be with him for all eternity.
Author Douglas O’Donell says, “Stop and consider who this is who promises to be with you: this is the God who spoke the world into being, the God who rules over all creation—every star in the sky, every mountain peak, every grain of sand, the sun and the moon, all the oceans and all the deserts of the earth—the God whom myriads of angels continually worship and sing praise to, the God whose glory is beyond our imagination and whose holiness is beyond our comprehension. This God is with you.”
What a privilege to say we are never alone. We are befriended now and forevermore! Are there moments where you need to be reminded of this? What verses from Scripture can work as an encouragement and comfort in moments of loneliness? If feeling alone is a struggle for you, are there people in your life who know this and how might they help you? Are there ways that you can model your life after Christ and be present in the lives of others who are struggling? Who are three people you can reach out to today to remind them they are not alone?
Benediction
Go into the world with this blessing from God:
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who loved us and by his grace
gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,
encourage your hearts and strengthen you
in every good deed and word.