Brief Devotions For Busy Lives" by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson: Psalm 68:5-6

 March 12

"Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy." -Psalm 68:5-6 (NLT)

Loneliness can be a terrible thing. While we have all had moments when we felt lonely, there is a different kind of loneliness that can occur even in the midst of other people. It involves feelings of isolation, being different from others, misunderstood, or rejected. Loneliness is not being separate from others but feeling isolated in the midst of other people. Yet God created families so we will have others like us who hopefully will understand how we feel and accept and love us as we are. However, biological families may not fulfill this purpose. Yet God's family always fulfills this need offering us membership based on the fact of Christ's redemptive love. The Bible says God's son, Jesus, is the first born among many brethren telling us, "you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful...Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children." (Rom. 8:15-16; NLT)

Only in God's family is there true belonging for all lonely people including orphans, widows, prisoners, rejected, misunderstood, abused, outcasts, the different, and isolated. If you are lonely, join God's eternal family. All are welcome! The Christian Family of God includes all who believe in Christ in the past, present, and future. We are a family because we have the same Father. God promises love and power to his family, the church. Yet if we want to receive God's full blessings, it is vital to stay connected to other believers. Those who isolate themselves from God's family and try to go it alone cut themselves off from the joy and protection this family offers. If you don't have a church family, search for one today. God will guide you to the right place!

Prayer: Father God, heal my loneliness and help me to find my forever family today. Amen.

Meditation For The Day: God's family is everlasting and eternal.

Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring Renewal Paperback – February 21, 2017, by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson (Author)