The Lodestar

The psalmist uses vivid imagery to express his anguish, pain, and frustration at his misfortune. The pain of loneliness resulting from rejection is like being a lonely bird—a “desert owl,” “owl in the waste places,” or a “sparrow on the rooftop.”

Mother Teresa rightly said, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved.” The psalmist is not living on a one-man island but is surrounded by people. However, he is isolated by the majority who are against him. “All day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse” (Psalm 102:8).

Though isolated by his society as a sufferer without hope, the psalmist is in a mood of solitude. Solitude is a voluntary and empowering choice, while loneliness is an involuntary and distressing condition. Solitude is more a state of mind and heart than a place. We can enjoy solitude amid a noisy crowd.

Loneliness gives way to solitude when the heart finds and relishes something higher. In the case of the psalmist, it is God who is “enthroned forever” (Psalm 102:12). The faith that the Lord “regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer” (Psalm 102:17) eases the stress that loneliness has caused. He further affirms that “The children of your (God’s) servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you” (Psa 102:28).

Loneliness causes throbbing pain. But when we turn it into times of celebrating our past with the Lord and getting excited about his promises for the future, we reach a point of solitude that raises our hearts to a new level of exhilaration.

Embrace the peace and strength that come from trusting in God’s eternal throne. Whether you’re feeling isolated or surrounded, discover how turning to him can transform pain into profound hope.

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