UNALOME

Our path isn’t always straight, perfect or even “in the right direction” but the believer’s walk - our journey - has God’s blueprint of our life. Unalome is a Buddhist word, but unalone is my word for walking with the Lord. Yes, I will have struggles, will and do mess up, but I have the hope of Jesus living in me.

Elisa Morgan wrote a book entitled You are Not Alone. She shares six reminders about God: as a person, His plan, presence, provision, promise and purpose. It’s interesting to think that the television hit series “Alone” is a survival competition that follows the daily, self-documented struggles of 10 different people “alone in the wilderness”. As much as they are “alone”, they really are not.

It’s also interesting to note that 10 biblical characters also spent time “alone.” First of all, in the beginning, Adam was alone in the garden of Eden before God created his helper, Eve. Joseph, with the coat of many colors, was thrown in a pit, sold into slavery and was falsely imprisoned for fourteen years. Moses grew up in a palace, but fled Egypt to become a reclusive shepherd. He experienced 40 days on the mountain where he received the 10 commandments from God. Elijah spent 40 days and nights on a mountain after fleeing into the wilderness because of Jezebel’s death threats. Both the apostle John and John the Baptist spent time alone. Jesus’ disciple was banished to the island of Patmos to write the book of Revelation and John was put into prison by King Herod.

The woman who experienced social isolation was considered “unclean” because she had been bleeding for 12 years. (Leviticus 15:25-27) She was desperate but Jesus healed her. Another “unclean” person was the man with leprosy from Matthew 8 who was also healed by Jesus. Jesus was alone in the desert for 40 days being tempted by Satan. When the crowds followed him, he would go off to be alone with His Father. Jeremiah had no family, was hated by society, and was in a thankless position as a prophet. Paul, the great evangelist, spent years in prison and was even under house arrest. Many moments of “alonenes.”

And yet, all of them experienced a touch from God. Psalm 73: 23-26 tells us that:

Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
 My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

And so, we can go into our day knowing that we are never alone - He is always with us. That’s comforting.