Alone. Lonely. Isolation. These are NOT words of comfort. Solitary confinement is the worst sort of experience. After God created Adam God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone" (Gen. 2:18). There is a broad application here. God designed us for FELLOWSHIP. We need human interaction. To thrive we need each other. In the place of "aloneness" we are vulnerable to the condition of "despond" which is a state of "low spirits". In John Bunyan’s famous allegory titled Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian stumbles into the "Slough of Despond", otherwise known as the "Swamp of Despair". It is a deep muddy pit from which it is very hard to escape. Aloneness and the "slough of despond" often go together.

Elijah is one of the GREATEST prophets in the Old Testament. He was a rugged individual and could be incredibly bold. In 1 Kings 18 Elijah single-handedly challenged all the prophets of Baal.

1 Kings 18:22 (ESV)
Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.

In this state of "aloneness" Elijah boldly mocked the false prophets and their inability to get fire to fall from heaven. Then Elijah prayed and fire fell from heaven and when the people saw it they cried out, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39). Elijah then proceeded to kill all the false prophets. Jezebel (king Ahab's wife) then swore she would kill Elijah and he ran for his life (1 Kg. 19:1-3). Eventually Elijah made his way to a cave and sat there in isolation. In that condition of "aloneness" God came to Elijah and said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kg. 19:9).

1 Kings 19:10 (ESV)
He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

God then encouraged Elijah saying,

1 Kings 19:18 (NKJV)
18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

I sometimes call Elijah's experience of thinking he was the only one left as "The Elijah Complex". In the battle it is easy to get to thinking we are all alone in the struggle. But in truth things are "seven thousand times" better than we think. We are NOT alone, even though sometimes it seems like it.

Let me remind you today that you are NOT ALONE! Whatever you are going through there are others out there that you don't even know about who are going through similar type struggles.

Peter in the book of 1st Peter writes to the suffering saints. Toward the end of the book he says...

1 Peter 5:8–9 (NKJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

The devil's roar is intimidating and threatening. It arouses fear! But Peter calls on us to resist him steadfast in the faith. Stand on the promises. When Jesus was tempted by the devil with each temptation Christ responded with "It is written" (cf. Mt. 4:1-11). That is standing strong in the faith. We resist through the truth. We remain steadfast on God's Word and refused to be moved. The battles and struggles of life must continually be met with "It is written".

But then Peter injects, "knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." You are NOT ALONE! Somehow that truth is comforting - just to know I am not the only one going through this experience.

Today is "Good Friday". In sheer agony Jesus cried out from the cross in a LOUD VOICE, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" (Mt. 27:46). This was not an intellectual question, but rather a deep pathos of expression in terms of what He was experiencing on the cross. This was HELL! Hell is separation from God! Jesus took our HELL on the cross! Hell ultimately is a God-forsaken place of ALONENESS!

But here is the GOOD NEWS! Jesus took the HELL OF ALONENESS so that we would never have to experience it. In Christ, NOTHING can ever separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38-39). In Christ, God has promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Heb. 13:5).

When in our "aloneness" we fall into the slough of despond, let us remember that we are NEVER really alone. There is always a remnant of 7000. In Christ things are always 7000 times better than we think! In Christ, we have a wonderful Savior Who took the "God-forsakeness" that we deserve so that we might never be forsaken! The Lord is always with us. Jesus said, "behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Mt. 28:20). This Good Friday let us remember the LONELINESS of the cross and remember that because of it we are NEVER truly ALONE!

1 Peter 5:8–11 (NKJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.