Walking through the valley of the shadow of loss, I discovered a profound truth that transformed my understanding of solitude: even in our deepest grief, we are never out of God's loving gaze. Join me in a conversation that traverses the delicate terrain of personal heartache, where I bare my soul about the journey through the loss of my spouse, and how it led me to a deeper appreciation of the ever-present watchfulness of God. In this heartfelt episode, we'll uncover the comforting assurances hidden within the sacred scriptures, like Psalm 139 and Genesis 16, as they affirm that being alone is distinct from loneliness, and that we are constantly in the tender care of the Almighty. The fellowship of believers becomes a lighthouse in this narrative, reinforcing the truth that God's attentive heart is with us in every breath we take, even when His answers to our prayers come in unexpected forms.
There's a sublime peace that comes with understanding the art of listening for God's voice, a subject we wade into with the same reverence as one would approach a holy sanctuary. Drawing on the wisdom of John 14:25-26, this episode is a guiding beacon for young Christians and seasoned believers alike, illuminating the importance of patience and the embrace of divine silence. Here, we'll discuss how the Holy Spirit serves as our celestial teacher, reminding us of Jesus' teachings and encouraging us to find solace in God's eternal love. As we journey together, the episode promises to be an oasis for those feeling deserted, offering refreshment through reminders of God's unwavering love and the encouragement to hold fast to His promises, especially during our loneliest moments.
Walking through the valley of the shadow of loss, I discovered a profound truth that transformed my understanding of solitude: even in our deepest grief, we are never out of God's loving gaze. Join me in a conversation that traverses the delicate terrain of personal heartache, where I bare my soul about the journey through the loss of my spouse, and how it led me to a deeper appreciation of the ever-present watchfulness of God. In this heartfelt episode, we'll uncover the comforting assurances hidden within the sacred scriptures, like Psalm 139 and Genesis 16, as they affirm that being alone is distinct from loneliness, and that we are constantly in the tender care of the Almighty. The fellowship of believers becomes a lighthouse in this narrative, reinforcing the truth that God's attentive heart is with us in every breath we take, even when His answers to our prayers come in unexpected forms.
There's a sublime peace that comes with understanding the art of listening for God's voice, a subject we wade into with the same reverence as one would approach a holy sanctuary. Drawing on the wisdom of John 14:25-26, this episode is a guiding beacon for young Christians and seasoned believers alike, illuminating the importance of patience and the embrace of divine silence. Here, we'll discuss how the Holy Spirit serves as our celestial teacher, reminding us of Jesus' teachings and encouraging us to find solace in God's eternal love. As we journey together, the episode promises to be an oasis for those feeling deserted, offering refreshment through reminders of God's unwavering love and the encouragement to hold fast to His promises, especially during our loneliest moments.
My website is https://www.godslovingsacrifice.com
Speaker 1:
Today we're going to talk about being alone. Not being lonely, but being alone. This week, the 24th of this month, was the second year anniversary of my husband's death and it was rather difficult, but not as hard as it had been the last two previous years. But there are times when I'm alone, and I'm talking about when I don't feel even God with me, and I wondered how many other people feel that way. Sometimes it's difficult because we know God is with us, but why do we not feel him? And I think that's our own. I'm not going to say self-pity, but sometimes for me I think it is. I pity myself a little bit because I'm here in this house all alone by myself, and no one comes and visits, which isn't true, but the way I feel. So I started thinking about in those times, where's God? Well, of course we all know he's with us.
Speaker 1:
But Psalms 139, 13-16 says my frame is not hidden from you. When I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, you saw my substance, yet being unformed, and in your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me when, as yet, there were none of them. He saw us before we were even formed. So if he saw us, then what makes us feel like he doesn't see us now, that he's not part of what we're going through? In fact, genesis 16, 13 says Then she called the name of the Lord. Who spoke to her? You are the God who sees. For she said have I also here seen him? Who sees me? He sees us. He saw us. He was there before we were created. He's been there with us the entire time. He sees us. You know, I really feel like that's kind of important for us to tell people. Sometimes, when people are going through things and they're at their wits end, we need to remind them. God sees you, god sees your tears, god sees your pain, god sees your loneliness, he sees your sorrow. He sees it all. And though we may not feel that he sees it, he does. But I think it's so important as Christians that we support each other and that we encourage each other, because nobody else is going to encourage us like that. Not only did he see us before we were formed, and he sees us now. He chose us. He chose us Now.
Speaker 1:
When you go out and you look at all the little puppies running around, there's one that you choose and you take that puppy home with you and you nurture it and you love it and you train it and you do all the things that you should do for this little puppy. God chose us. If you were that wonderful to that little puppy, how much more is he wonderful to us, the ones that he chose, people that you may proclaim the praises of him, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. He sees us, he saw us, he chose us, and with all the thoughts that go through our head when we're feeling down, he knows that he knows us. He knows our deepest thoughts and our deepest secrets. He knows all that. We don't hide any of our secrets from Him. So when we think we're alone, suffering, he's right there. He knows it. He knows exactly what you're thinking, he knows exactly what you're feeling. He knows exactly where you are. He's been there. John 4, 28 through 29 said.
Speaker 1:
The woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city and said to the men come see a man who told me all the things I ever did. Could this be christ and it was, and he can tell us everything we ever did. He loves us, he chose us, he sees us. He sees us and he hears us. He speaks to us. He's there all the time.
Speaker 1:
There's a song. Again, I'm sorry I'm going to talk about music again, but I hope you guys love music. And the song goes he was there all the time. He was there all the time Waiting patiently in line. He was there all the time. He was there all the time waiting patiently in line. He was there all the time. And he is there all the time. And he does see us and he does understand what we're going through. He comforts us, he carries us those times when you don't feel him. Sometimes he's carrying you, just like the poem and the footprints. The guy didn't realize he was being carried until god told him, even though he only saw one set of footprints. His first thought was god left him. No, he carried him and that's what he does for us. He hears us and he speaks to us.
Speaker 1:
Isaiah 65, 24 says it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer and while they are still speaking, I will hear, and he does. You know, people say God didn't answer my prayers. And I really get a little frustrated when I hear people say well, I prayed for this or I prayed for that and God didn't answer me. Well, how do you know he didn't answer me? Maybe you didn't need what you were praying for, and if it was praying for the healing of a loved one that didn't get healed, only God knows the reason for that. But he answered the prayer because maybe that person was praying God. I'm ready to go home, I'm tired and it's time to go home. Maybe there was something going to happen in that person's life and God took them out of it, just like he's going to take us all out of the tribulation. Don't question what God does. Thank Him for doing it. I thank Him for taking my husband. That's what my husband wanted, that's what he needed and he was ready to go. Now I wasn't ready for him to go, but I had to know that this was of God, that this was what God had planned.
Speaker 1:
John 14, 25 through 26 says these things I have spoken to you while being present with you, but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things I said to you. I had someone ask me one time. A young Christian said how do you hear God? And I said well, don't take this the wrong way, but you need to shut up, and sometimes we do. We need to shut off all the thoughts in our mind. We need to stop talking.
Speaker 1:
I always said lay face down, empty your mind and wait. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. That's what we need to do. We need to wait. We need to wait on the Lord. We need to listen to the Lord. When we don't feel Him there, he is right there beside us. Maybe it's time to stop, be quiet and listen and rest. Rest in his arms, rest in his love and his mercy and his grace. Don't let Satan take your joy. Don't let Satan, in the times when you're by yourself and you're feeling down, don't let him tell you that God's not with you. Remember that he was with you before you were born. He sees you in every circumstance that you are in. He chose you to be part of his family. He knows your thoughts and your secrets and he hears us and speaks to us. So the next time you're going through that feeling of abandonment, be quiet, just be quiet and listen and hear his voice, feel his arms around you and know that you are loved.
