Lonely - 2

In yesterday’s blog I spoke of God being my companion after I lost my first wife, Ann. However, there was still longing for female companionship.

God addresses that concern in Gen.2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Some interpret that to read: "God looked at man and said 'it is not good', so he created woman. He practiced on man and made a perfect model with woman." My prayer at that point was: “Father, I’m lonely. I don’t want to go out looking for someone to date. In Philippians 4 you promise to meet all my needs. Please meet that deep longing for female companionship.”

Through very unusual circumstances He brought me that companionship through connection with Theresa, a lady I had known 35 years ago. Though a couple thousand miles separated us, we bonded quickly through email and phone conversations. In fact, the bond deepened so quickly that the Lord showed me the relationship had become primary focus, not Him. In my loneliness and neediness, she had become my prop, my crutch. God labeled it idolatry. I was inadvertantly using her to meet my needs. We had to slow it down, to cool the engines, with the reminder that God desires to be the Resource first. “My God shall supply all your needs...”

A healthy tension is felt here. On the one hand, God wants to meet our deep longings and He will never forsake us. He is always with us even “in our own home.” Yet, on the other hand, He has created us for human relationship - for companionship. “It is not good for man to be alone.” Romans 12:5b says "So we belong to each other and each needs all the others." How is this "need" tension resolved? How to handle loneliness?

We’ll look more at this on Monday’s post.