There comes a moment within deep suffering when we come to a jarring realization; no one can fully enter our pain. We may be surrounded by faithful family and friends—people who love us, who listen, who walk, cry with and walk beside us and they are blessings. However, no one is exactly alike and no one can experience our suffering. When that truth settles in, it can bring a profound loneliness, an ache that feels empty, vulnerable, and frightening.
We arrive in these places for many reasons. Sometimes the weight comes through serious illness. Other times it comes through guilt, grief, or the breaking of a heart. The circumstances differ, but the loneliness often feels the same—quiet, isolating, and heavy.
And yet, it is often here, in the very place where we feel most alone, that God draws nearest. Human companionship has limits but God has no limits. He is intimately in it with us. A compassionate Father who who suffers with us.
The Scriptures below have been a comfort to me in seasons like this—when words are hard to find and hope feels thin. During one season of illness, I wrote a poem of lament, pouring out what my heart could barely hold. What followed felt like a response from God, also in the form of a poem. I’ve shared it at the end of this post, as an offering for anyone who may need it.
When We Feel Isolated
I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you. Hebrews 13:5 WEB
When Have Guilt
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Psalm 86:5 NIV
When We Are Brokenhearted
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 NIV
