You Are With Me

We are all aware of the horrible tragedy that has taken place in Haiti. Story after story and picture after picture break our hearts as we all pray and try to help in whatever way we can. We see and hear so many stories of broken families, missing parents, suffering children, confusion and frustration, and the suffering of so many. Stories of so many people who feel so alone, of an entire country suffering in loneliness. And you just know that out of all that pain and loneliness, there are prayers going up that sound something like, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken us? Why? Why us? Why this?" Because that is the prayer of lonely people.

This world is full of loneliness. Its all around us. All of us have known it. For some, loneliness is their closest friend.

Even King David knew and understood loneliness. When the prophet Samuel came to the household of Jesse to appoint the new king, Jesse lined up all his sons but one. When Samuel chose none of them, he asked if there were any more sons, causing Jesse to admit that there was one more; the runt. David was overlooked by his father. He was left out of a family meeting. He was lonely.

As David served under Saul, he experienced more loneliness. Saul wanted to kill him. Saul despised him. Saul pursued him. And because of that, David lived a life on the run, living in the wilderness and sleeping in caves and eating who knows what. Loneliness.

And David wrote in Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have Your forsaken me?" It was the cry of his heart. His prayer. And evidently, God met David in his loneliness. In the very next chapter, Psalm 23, David writes, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me." YOU ARE WITH ME!!! That's the promise of God!

He is with us. He meets us in our loneliness. He knows us and sees us and desires us. And He proved this to us. Even Jesus, the Son of God, knew loneliness. Jesus became lonely for the lonely; us. He was lonely in the desert, He was lonely in the garden, and you know He was lonely as He hung on that cross and cried out, "My God, my God, why have Your forsaken me?"

That's our God. That's His love. And God meets us when we're lonely; meets us where we're lonely. He meets us in the mess.

And so in this horrible mess in Haiti, something is happening. The more I have watched the news stories, the more and more I am hearing about churches and pastors and ministries in Haiti. I've seen them interview pastors in Haiti on national TV. And out of this tremendous tragedy and loneliness, the Name of God is rising up. Rising out of the mess. KEEP PRAYING!

So remember this promise, this prayer: You are with me. In my loneliness, You are with me. In the mess, You are with me. And may Your Name rise up!