Never Alone
By Lillian Howard
And the LORD God said, it is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for him.” Genesis 2:18
From the beginning of the Book, from the beginning of time, up until Genesis 2:17, everything had been good. Here, God makes note of the first and only thing within the creation week that was not good: that man should be alone.
If you have ever felt alone, you are in very good company. Noah was, at one point, the only faithful man in existence (Genesis 6:5-8). He preached for years and only saved eight people (2 Peter 2:5). Joshua and Caleb were two faithful spies out of a sea of scared and unfaithful Israelites (Numbers 13-14). Elijah believed himself the sole follower of God, and felt so alone he wanted to die (1 Kings 19). Even Jesus, on the cross, quoted the heartfelt words of David from Psalm 22:1. My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring.
Someone once said, no man is an island. However, more often than we wish, we feel like one. We feel like we’re the only one who understands. We feel like we’re the only one who is trying. Perhaps this is human nature. Perhaps this is why God went out of His way to remind us, over and over, that this is not the case. During a difficult time of my life, I compiled a list of verses to remind me that I was never alone. I’d like to share a few of them with you.
Many, O LORD my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to usward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Psalm 40:5
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:1-2
And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. Psalm 34:15
Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9
This is only a fraction of a fraction of the verses we could list about God’s presence, with us at all times, and His comfort when we struggle. 2 Corinthians 1:3 calls Him the “God of all comfort.” He lives up to His name over and over. In my mind, nothing sums this up better than Psalm 22. The Psalm Jesus quoted on the cross, when His creation had rejected Him, His friends had abandoned Him, and He was in physical agony. A Psalm that begins with David’s declaration that he was alone, but which ends with hope. Verse 24 reads, For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of his afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him: but when he cried unto him, he heard.
In their darkest moments, God stood by David, He stood by Jesus, and He will stand by us.