Feeling isolated or alone? You’re not the only one. This article explores what the Bible says about loneliness and how God uses seasons of isolation to shape your faith, deepen your relationship with Him, and prepare you for what’s next. Through the story of Elijah and practical biblical insight, discover how to hear God in the quiet, overcome loneliness, and find purpose in your current season.
I truly felt this. It reminded me of the year I retreated from the world. The time leading up to it was the most difficult of my life. Our 17 year old daughter had been diagnosed with cancer. God brought her through the storm. My best friend lost her life at the hand of another. God tried to reach me through my grief. I ran. I hid. I turned once again to alcohol to escape the pain. God waited. He used the people closest to me to guide me into rehab. He met me in the stillness of a hospital room. I thought I had reached the end. But God said, “No, this is the beginning. This is where you learn to trust and to let go.” I did. I surrendered. For the first time in my life I let go and let God lead. And He did. He lead me out of the storm and into His grace. That was eight years ago. I no longer fear stillness because in silence I hear God clearly and feel presence more deeply. I am grateful for the stillness.
This is so good Chris! And such an important topic. My work focuses on helping people see the benefits and drawbacks of situations so they can view them clearly, and this article demonstrates that very well 👏🏻👏🏻
I so needed this encouragement 💕 I have been feeling lonely and fatigued and maybe I just need rest and stillness with my Father. It's hard for me to distinguish resting from laziness. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and be grateful for this season that God has ordained!
Hi Jenna. That's a great observation. For me, it's similar to a car. It can't run at full capacity for a long time without needing to be turned off and refuled. You can't run at 100% for too long or you'll start to break down. Rest is not laziness, it's for refuling and preventative maintenance. 😊
This really resonated with me Thank you Pastor Chris. Because i needed this, what struck me most is that when you're in the middle of a season like this, it rarely feels like preparation. It feels like loss. Confusion. Silence. Sometimes even failure.
Elijah wasn't sitting under that tree thinking God was shaping him. He thought he was finished.
That's why I find so much hope in the gentleness of God's response. Thank you for writingbthis
Love this. So encouraging right now… which has been a loooong right now:) I was just thinking about isolation before reading this. Praying that the incredible quiet difficulty will result in exponentially more light, good, growth and God’s honor than the “dark thing” is dark.
Praying that the all important way of life, that is loving Him and others so much, will happen more and better as I live on:)
I’m glad you’re encouraged. I can tell you it gets easier. The more you dwell on the things of God and loving others, you can see where God meets you in the middle and you start to look more like Him.
Wowwww, what a faith-filled and encouraging piece overall. Thank you, Pastor Chris for sharing this🥹. Exactly, what I needed to hear in this season!🙇🏽♀️ May God continue to grant you wisdom.
Hey Pastor Chris...I really needed this. I have been in my isolation period for the past 3 years. I feel like God is beginning to lead me out. Thank you for sharing.
After reading this article/blog I realized that I am in the isolation stage. It has not been easy at all. I’ve been in this stage for 3-4 years. I have lost people who I thought were friends, replaced by others, my daughter going through issues with her sexuality, and it had been a lonely road. I’ve felt lonely and alone in many seasons. I have felt so much anger, fear, and hurt by others. It also taught me how I was desperately seeking people’s approval so I can feel like I belonged somewhere so I wouldn’t feel rejected. But rejection is tough and I took it upon myself to view this isolation as a punishment and rejection by others. Problems at work and unsure what career pathway I want to take after being in the helping business and not having a passion for it like before,
I’ve circled the same mountain thinking what have I done for my friends who I have done life so the to leave me behind?! Reading this helped me realize that it’s a necessary step in our spiritual journey. It has been difficult these past 3-4 years. I have felt like Eli where I wanted to die because I felt so alone in this dry journey but the Lord didn’t give up on me.
I am thankful the Lord is using your writing to reach others across the state lines.
Thank you for sharing, pastor! Recently, God has placed isolation and silence on my heart - and I’ve been called to be quiet and focus (Nehemiah). I’m in a season of isolation, but it’s an obedience, still - the lessons laid out here are good reminders. Thank you again.
When I was in Bible college, my first year was a blast!
My second year felt like destitution because all of my close friends began to date each other, and I had not found my one and only yet.
So many weekends, I was alone. God encouraged me to “date” Him! Hmmm.
He tethered me so beautifully, and there were far less distractions in those days, so I agreed that He was my best choice.
I grew to love Him so much more deeply and know Him so much more vastly, and loved spending time with Him as I would a visible person.
I read my Bible with Him, asked so many questions, worshiped and journaled, exercised with praise & worship music, and gave out to others who needed things and had no one to help them.
It was 100% instrumental in my Christian growth and my ability to walk out the life God has given me.
God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is literally my best friend.
Thanks for this article. It’s great work and truly anointed. It’s easy for us to keep eating from the troughs of public acceptance and relevance only to lose our strength and witness in the “hope of glory-Christ in us”. It is such a trap and I’ve seen over and over again how perception gets skewed when God provides isolation for restoration (Psalm 23:2,3), but I look at it as the trap when in fact was the method of liberation all along.
I truly felt this. It reminded me of the year I retreated from the world. The time leading up to it was the most difficult of my life. Our 17 year old daughter had been diagnosed with cancer. God brought her through the storm. My best friend lost her life at the hand of another. God tried to reach me through my grief. I ran. I hid. I turned once again to alcohol to escape the pain. God waited. He used the people closest to me to guide me into rehab. He met me in the stillness of a hospital room. I thought I had reached the end. But God said, “No, this is the beginning. This is where you learn to trust and to let go.” I did. I surrendered. For the first time in my life I let go and let God lead. And He did. He lead me out of the storm and into His grace. That was eight years ago. I no longer fear stillness because in silence I hear God clearly and feel presence more deeply. I am grateful for the stillness.
That’s an amazing story. I realize the older I get, the more I just want to sit in the stillness with God. He works in the stillness.
This is so good Chris! And such an important topic. My work focuses on helping people see the benefits and drawbacks of situations so they can view them clearly, and this article demonstrates that very well 👏🏻👏🏻
I so needed this encouragement 💕 I have been feeling lonely and fatigued and maybe I just need rest and stillness with my Father. It's hard for me to distinguish resting from laziness. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and be grateful for this season that God has ordained!
Hi Jenna. That's a great observation. For me, it's similar to a car. It can't run at full capacity for a long time without needing to be turned off and refuled. You can't run at 100% for too long or you'll start to break down. Rest is not laziness, it's for refuling and preventative maintenance. 😊
This really resonated with me Thank you Pastor Chris. Because i needed this, what struck me most is that when you're in the middle of a season like this, it rarely feels like preparation. It feels like loss. Confusion. Silence. Sometimes even failure.
Elijah wasn't sitting under that tree thinking God was shaping him. He thought he was finished.
That's why I find so much hope in the gentleness of God's response. Thank you for writingbthis
Pastor Chris, I don't know you personally, but through the Spirit of God. I can see you preaching this message. Hallelujah!🙌🏽
I am in that place of isolation. A good thing. I receive this message. Blessings🙏🏽
Thank you so much, Cheryl. God works in our story for His glory!
Love this. So encouraging right now… which has been a loooong right now:) I was just thinking about isolation before reading this. Praying that the incredible quiet difficulty will result in exponentially more light, good, growth and God’s honor than the “dark thing” is dark.
Praying that the all important way of life, that is loving Him and others so much, will happen more and better as I live on:)
Deep sigh.
I’m glad you’re encouraged. I can tell you it gets easier. The more you dwell on the things of God and loving others, you can see where God meets you in the middle and you start to look more like Him.
Wowwww, what a faith-filled and encouraging piece overall. Thank you, Pastor Chris for sharing this🥹. Exactly, what I needed to hear in this season!🙇🏽♀️ May God continue to grant you wisdom.
Such a powerful and relevant topic that needed to be explored. God bless you.
Hey Pastor Chris...I really needed this. I have been in my isolation period for the past 3 years. I feel like God is beginning to lead me out. Thank you for sharing.
God Bless and Great Success!
I am in the same boat as you!
Anyone who has done anything significant for God has spent a significant amount of time alone with Him
After reading this article/blog I realized that I am in the isolation stage. It has not been easy at all. I’ve been in this stage for 3-4 years. I have lost people who I thought were friends, replaced by others, my daughter going through issues with her sexuality, and it had been a lonely road. I’ve felt lonely and alone in many seasons. I have felt so much anger, fear, and hurt by others. It also taught me how I was desperately seeking people’s approval so I can feel like I belonged somewhere so I wouldn’t feel rejected. But rejection is tough and I took it upon myself to view this isolation as a punishment and rejection by others. Problems at work and unsure what career pathway I want to take after being in the helping business and not having a passion for it like before,
I’ve circled the same mountain thinking what have I done for my friends who I have done life so the to leave me behind?! Reading this helped me realize that it’s a necessary step in our spiritual journey. It has been difficult these past 3-4 years. I have felt like Eli where I wanted to die because I felt so alone in this dry journey but the Lord didn’t give up on me.
I am thankful the Lord is using your writing to reach others across the state lines.
Loved this
Thank you for sharing, pastor! Recently, God has placed isolation and silence on my heart - and I’ve been called to be quiet and focus (Nehemiah). I’m in a season of isolation, but it’s an obedience, still - the lessons laid out here are good reminders. Thank you again.
When I was in Bible college, my first year was a blast!
My second year felt like destitution because all of my close friends began to date each other, and I had not found my one and only yet.
So many weekends, I was alone. God encouraged me to “date” Him! Hmmm.
He tethered me so beautifully, and there were far less distractions in those days, so I agreed that He was my best choice.
I grew to love Him so much more deeply and know Him so much more vastly, and loved spending time with Him as I would a visible person.
I read my Bible with Him, asked so many questions, worshiped and journaled, exercised with praise & worship music, and gave out to others who needed things and had no one to help them.
It was 100% instrumental in my Christian growth and my ability to walk out the life God has given me.
God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is literally my best friend.
Thank you pastor I can definitely relate I am in the wilderness waiting season but I know this is my preparation table 🙏🏼 Excellent writing!
Thanks for this article. It’s great work and truly anointed. It’s easy for us to keep eating from the troughs of public acceptance and relevance only to lose our strength and witness in the “hope of glory-Christ in us”. It is such a trap and I’ve seen over and over again how perception gets skewed when God provides isolation for restoration (Psalm 23:2,3), but I look at it as the trap when in fact was the method of liberation all along.