…be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5b
Loss and loneliness. On its own, each of these can be disturbing. When they’re coupled together, they’re downright devastating and destructive.
Last week, India’s national newspaper, the Hindu, told the story of an elderly couple in the city of Hyderabad. Recently, at the request of some neighbors, the police were asked to stop in at the house of a Mr. and Mrs. Raj, a childless couple in their sixties.
When the police arrived on Sunday, neither the husband nor wife answered the door. What did come to the door was an overpowering odor. The police gained entry to the house and found the hanged bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Raj. Both had committed suicide on Thursday. The note the couple left behind explained why they had decided to end their lives. It told how they had been unable to shake the depression they’d felt since the death of 13-year-old Papi. Without any other immediate family, and thinking themselves alone and unneeded, the couple took matters into their own hands.
Oh, did I mention that Papi was their dog?
While most of us may not be able to understand why a couple would go to such extreme measures, we are able to comprehend the terrible feeling of loss and loneliness. We understand because we’ve been there. Family and friends die or move away. Life situations change. Things we once relied upon are no longer trustworthy or dependable. Loss and loneliness are tough.
This is why we need to hear the words of our omni-loving and omnipresent Lord. God tells us in the book of Hebrews that, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” In saying those words, God wants His people to know that He is with us, even when no one else is. God sent His Son to take our place, to be our Redeemer, Savior, and Friend so that we would never be alone. That’s something to remember, especially those of you who are reading these words and think yourselves lost and alone. YOU AREN’T.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, be with those who don’t know You. Lead them to the realization that in the living Lord Jesus they can have a Friend who will forgive and a Redeemer who will restore them. Grant me that same remembrance in those times when I forget, too. In your Son’s name. Amen.
Today's Bible Readings: Joshua 19-21 Luke 11:29-54
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