Sometimes I Feel So Lonely – Today’s Family Devotion

Sometimes I Feel So Lonely

Bible Reading: Genesis 2:18-23

It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him. Genesis 2:18

After an awful day at school Danni flopped on her bed and scribbled these painful words in her diary:

I felt really lonely at school today. At lunchtime Katie made fun of my walk-a-thon T-shirt. She called it a rag. She said it so loud that everyone could hear. I didn’t know what to do, so at recess I ran off and hid around the corner of the building. I kept to myself for the rest of the day. Am I ever going to feel like I have a friend?

Not all girls write in a diary when they feel lonely. Many boys would never dare to write about their feelings even in secret. But it’s a fact: All of us feel lonely some­times. Even if we like being alone, we don’t like feeling left out. We hate it when peo­ple make fun of us. We really want friends who let us talk about our ideas, our dreams, and our problems. We like people who make us feel likable and lovable.

That’s what you read about in your Bible passage today. After God created Adam, he said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Adam must have looked in awe at all the fantastic animals, lush plants, and beautiful scenery God had made. But he still felt alone. Adam needed someone just like him. That’s why God created Eve. He made her to be Adam’s closest possible friend.

Needing human friends is normal. That’s how God built all of us.

But even before Adam had Eve, he had God. And after Adam and Eve were cre­ated, God enjoyed coming to the Garden of Eden to talk with them.

People are still the same today. God gives us people who can be our close friends and take away our loneliness. But he doesn’t want us to be close friends only with people, because sometimes our human friends let us down. He wants us to be best friends with him.

When we feel lonely, the biggest cure for our loneliness is knowing Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus to earth so we could be sure he loves us. Jesus is the friend we can talk to every day, even when no one else is around. And we can trust that Jesus is with us wherever we go each day. (You can check out that fact in Matthew 28:20.)

You need people, but you need Jesus most of all. And Jesus wants to be your closest friend ever.

TALK: How have people made you feel lonely? How have they made you feel loved? How can you get close to God when you feel lonely?

PRAY: Jesus, thank you that when we feel lonely you are always close to us—and are always our best friend.

ACT: When you feel lonely today, tell Jesus thanks for being your best friend.