Jason Silver

Friday, February 7th, 2020

Recently I had a conversation with a young person who felt isolated and alone. This person sobbed before me, great big tears of pain. He was afraid that he would never find a friend that really understood. Faithful friends are few and far between, and with an imminent move coming, he worried that he would be separated from anyone who cared.

We all long to be known, to be valued, to be loved. Maybe you've been in that place. It's so hard to find someone who really understands us, and even when we do, there always seems to be a hole that cannot quite be filled, or a challenge to transparently communicate our hearts, or a fear of being judged and abandoned.

I recommended to this young fellow, that he think of our heavenly Father as that True Friend. God wants to hear about our pains and longings, not just our memorized prayers before dinner and bedtime; not just our shopping list of daily needs. I suggested he tell God exactly what he was worried about. Not only can God be that Friend, he will also meet our needs in surprising ways when we ask him to.

While this is all true, it can seem trite and empty when one feels distant from God. The writer of the Psalm today cries out to God, "Why have you cast me off?!" He also asks himself why he feels so "cast down and disquieted," when God is his exceeding joy! His answer to himself is absolutely correct: hope in God, for I shall again praise him!

Maybe you need to have a conversation with yourself? Maybe we each need to remind ourselves that God is our source of joy. When a person is hungry, they seek food. When thirsty, they drink. When bored, we seek stimulation, when tired we rest. Rarely would one forget to address a physical need.

But what about a spiritual need? Despite the protestations of atheists, each of us has a spiritual dimension. Our emotions, our loneliness, even our dissatisfaction with the physical reveal a deep spiritual hunger.

Go to the source, for he is your help and your God.

Amen