Alone

Alone. All by yourself, with no one to help you. Isn’t that an awful feeling?

In Psalm 54, David complains that “strangers” had risen up against him (Psalm 54:3), and in the next psalm he is brokenhearted that his “acquaintance” [friend], with whom he had enjoyed sweet fellowship, had betrayed him and turned against him (Psalm 55:12-14).

Attacked by fierce enemies and faithless friends, David turns to God, declaring, “He is my helper” (Psalm 54:4). Rather than relying on human aid, he declares,“ I will call upon God, and the LORD shall save me” (Psalm 55:16).

We may not encounter such extreme isolation, but we do confront the reality that our best friends cannot fully understand us and, despite their love for us, lack the ability to deliver us from our troubles or carry our burdens for us.

Then we can not only take comfort from David’s example of turning to God alone for help, and even more from our Lord’s terrible loneliness in the Garden, during his trials, and while on the Cross, but also heed his counsel: “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you” (Psalm 5:22).

Will not the one who “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” also carry our lesser loads for us?