God's Promise to the Lonely
There's confusion in the modern western church as to what we "get" when we come to Jesus.
Contrary to many popular sermons and best-selling books, we are not promised earthly success and prosperity. That we would look for such things is evidence of our misunderstanding of the Gospel, God's purpose for us, and of what makes for our eternal well-being and happiness.
Earthly success and prosperity: money flowing, accolades from "important people," and a position, whether in the religious or secular area, of respect.
We should fear such things.
It's not that they are wrong - indeed, some saints are called to walk in positions of wealth and affluence. However, such callings will come with a price, and the temptations that accompany them are enough to snare hearts as noble as King David and the Apostle Peter (see Galatians 2:11-14). Besides, such attainments are often a mark that we have more closely sided with the world than the Kingdom of Christ. Jesus warned us of this when He said, "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation...Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets." (Luke 6:24, 26, italics mine)
So what do we get?
Well, that's what the true Gospel of grace is all about. There's a pretty meaty list in Ephesians 1 that serves as a good starting point for the soul that is spiritually salivating for the redemptive truths of God.
Today, there's one thing on my mind, best expressed in one of the Psalms: "God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy." (Psalm 68:6, NLT)
Friends, this is better than money and positions. Those things fade away and rot. Our heart's deepest longing is for love, acceptance, and worth, and we find it in Jesus, and we find it richly.
One way that God promises to satisfy this need in our heart is to bring us into a family. Of course this application is spiritual, but it also has very practical outworkings. Loneliness, exclusion, and rejection are some of the worst pains of the human existence. God promises to remedy these dire wounds in our soul by bringing us close to Himself, and placing us in the larger context of the family of God.
These two things - access to the Father of Love Himself and the Community of the Redeemed - provide the optimum environment for the healing and restoration of our hearts. While the Community of the Redeemed can often be a volatile place, its imperfections are used by a perfect God to bring us further along on our journey of love.
To the rejected, God reaches out His arms and says, "You are always welcome!" To the lonely, He intervenes in our personal history and brings us into a family, a community of people on a similar journey. Brothers and sisters with which we can dream, find purpose, and fight for God's will to be done on this earth.
Until Jesus returns, this is our Home. The family He places us in, whether it be a community of friends, a literal family of children and a spouse, or some other relational entity - if it revolves around Christ, then there is life, hope, and acceptance there, and it is part of God's solution for our needy hearts. It's His promise to the lonely; His gift to His children.
We will never be left orphans. And that is good news.
Contrary to many popular sermons and best-selling books, we are not promised earthly success and prosperity. That we would look for such things is evidence of our misunderstanding of the Gospel, God's purpose for us, and of what makes for our eternal well-being and happiness.
Earthly success and prosperity: money flowing, accolades from "important people," and a position, whether in the religious or secular area, of respect.
We should fear such things.
It's not that they are wrong - indeed, some saints are called to walk in positions of wealth and affluence. However, such callings will come with a price, and the temptations that accompany them are enough to snare hearts as noble as King David and the Apostle Peter (see Galatians 2:11-14). Besides, such attainments are often a mark that we have more closely sided with the world than the Kingdom of Christ. Jesus warned us of this when He said, "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation...Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets." (Luke 6:24, 26, italics mine)
So what do we get?
Well, that's what the true Gospel of grace is all about. There's a pretty meaty list in Ephesians 1 that serves as a good starting point for the soul that is spiritually salivating for the redemptive truths of God.
Today, there's one thing on my mind, best expressed in one of the Psalms: "God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy." (Psalm 68:6, NLT)
Friends, this is better than money and positions. Those things fade away and rot. Our heart's deepest longing is for love, acceptance, and worth, and we find it in Jesus, and we find it richly.
One way that God promises to satisfy this need in our heart is to bring us into a family. Of course this application is spiritual, but it also has very practical outworkings. Loneliness, exclusion, and rejection are some of the worst pains of the human existence. God promises to remedy these dire wounds in our soul by bringing us close to Himself, and placing us in the larger context of the family of God.
These two things - access to the Father of Love Himself and the Community of the Redeemed - provide the optimum environment for the healing and restoration of our hearts. While the Community of the Redeemed can often be a volatile place, its imperfections are used by a perfect God to bring us further along on our journey of love.
To the rejected, God reaches out His arms and says, "You are always welcome!" To the lonely, He intervenes in our personal history and brings us into a family, a community of people on a similar journey. Brothers and sisters with which we can dream, find purpose, and fight for God's will to be done on this earth.
Until Jesus returns, this is our Home. The family He places us in, whether it be a community of friends, a literal family of children and a spouse, or some other relational entity - if it revolves around Christ, then there is life, hope, and acceptance there, and it is part of God's solution for our needy hearts. It's His promise to the lonely; His gift to His children.
We will never be left orphans. And that is good news.
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