Personal Reflection: You may FEEL alone, You are NOT alone, You were NEVER alone - Part 1
Running🏃 + Prayer 🙏 + Music 🎧 = Intimacy With God
If you have been following my writing for any length of time, you probably know how much I love running. Running for me is far more than staying in shape; it is a unique opportunity to get away from it all. To lean into a quiet space allowing God to speak to me. You may have heard me say it before, I am just a regular guy. I am not a pastor. I am not a missionary. I am just a regular guy who has been given the gift of running, allowing me to spend a tremendous amount of time each week alone with Jesus. Lately, my time alone with Jesus focuses on one of three things. 1 - Reflecting on the day's events and surrendering my anxiety for what is to come. 2 - Praying for others. 3 - And sometimes, I get a clear message from the Lord that sounds something like this. "Just stop. Slow down and be silent. Just WORSHIP Me. Let the music circulate deep into your soul. Let Me bring you into My presence. I need to reveal something NEW to you.”
Earlier this week, I had one of those "just worship Me" moments. As I began to lean into the music, the Lord revealed an incredibly specific message that he wanted me to hear. In this three-part series, we will look closer at the lyrics from the three songs that God used to move me from "I FEEL alone" to "you are NOT alone" to "you were NEVER alone."
You May Feel Alone
The first song that the Lord used was from one of my favorite punk/ska bands from my youth. Take a minute to read over the lyrics below from Five Iron Frenzy and their song “Every New Day.” Can you feel the loneliness building up to the point of total suffocation? Can you feel the desperation for God to intervene? Thankfully the song doesn't end on this desperate cry for help - more on that in part 3 of this devotional.
The struggles go on
The wisdom I lack
The burdens keep piling
Up on my back
So hard to breathe
To take the next step
The mountain is high
I wade in the depths
Yearning for grace
And hoping for peace
Dear God increase
Five Iron Frenzy - Every New Day
These days loneliness is everywhere you look. Physical loneliness caused by isolation and staying home more than we ever have before. Think about it. When is the last time you gave someone outside your immediate family a hug or handshake, and it wasn't awkward? Relational loneliness caused by not being able to fully connect with others. I am grateful for things like Zoom and Facetime, but really sharing my heart over a screen is difficult. I am far more likely, to be honest with others about how I really feel when we are face to face. Spiritual loneliness caused by our regular rhythms of church attendance being thrown all out of wack. Leaving us often confused as to what God is saying and out of sync with his timing.
We are not alone when it comes to experiencing loneliness. King David knew what it felt like to be lonely. In Psalm 25, he wrote, "Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted." (Psalm 25:16 ESV) His enemies were circling all around him. The shame of his sins ringing in his ears. But... in his loneliness, he turned to God and poured out his heart, asking God to redeem him out of all of his troubles.
What loneliness are you feeling today? Physical isolation. Relational isolation. Spiritual isolation. Or maybe a combination of all three. Take these two steps towards healing: tell Jesus about it, allowing him to move you from "I feel alone" to "I am not alone," and then tell someone close to you how you are feeling.
Sample Prayer
Lord, I feel all alone with no one to turn to in my time of need. Where are you God? I thought you said you would never abandon me. Take my feelings of loneliness and exchange them for the TRUTH of your word.
Featured Music
Kari Jobe - I Am Not Alone
About the Author
Nathan Miller
You may know me as a husband, father, son, brother, friend, mentor, ultra marathoner runner, NBA basketball enthusiast, fan of all things tech, music lover and writer. However, the life blood that flows through everything that I strive to be comes from a desire for greater intimacy with Jesus Christ. He is my Savior, my Provider, my Lord and most of all my best friend.