GodReflection: Lonely? —Glad you are here, you are family.
Here is how I remember it. As a child it took a bit to learn the difference between right and wrong and the consequences of bad decisions. I didn’t like punishment, but it took some time before my conscience was trained to cause me to begin to feel bad (repent) and want to learn to do right.
My parents saw that our family were early arrivers at church every time the doors were open. It was there at a young age I learned Jesus wanted to cover my failures and to help me learn to do right. I began to see I could not do right without His help.
Then, I discovered to my surprise, that Satan, God’s enemy and mine, loves to attend church. If only
there was not enough space for him. Yet always he seems to find a seat. I notice when I gave him attention, loneliness starts to engulf me.
More times than I like to admit, I bring Satan with me to worship. He enters through my own struggle with sin. When I come to church to judge, I find Satan beside me ready to participate. Each time I condemned another, loneliness entered my soul.
Every time I hear a political prayer, I want to slap down my gavel and shout “enough!” Each time I hear a prayer exalting our nation above the other nations of the world—and sometimes even above heaven, I want to roll my poor fit of judgment robes into a hard, knotted ball, and knock the microphone out of business.
I stand in awe at the prayerful laments of the prophets as they rehearse to God their human limitations. As I walk from my car through the doors of worship, I would do good to fill my mind with a prayer of lament as to my own sinfulness and my need for a renewed dose of God’s love and grace. I want to see the cross and God’s reflection anew.
I do a whole lot better in worship when I leave Satan outside. I find when Satan enters with me, he blocks my view of the cross. For it was on the cross where God conquered Satan. It cost Him the death of His Son Jesus. But he limits Satan’s reach for now. When Jesus makes his final return to earth. Satan will be finished, bound, and locked up forever.
After Jesus’s death on the cross, He experienced three days of eternal death, while he paid for all my sin and inadequacies. Then God raised him from the grave to reign as King of me and the entire creation.
And as King, while Jesus’s completes His rule, He sent us His Spirit to keep Satan at bay for now and to cure our loneliness. Jesus is in control. As He reigns, He assures us that as King, and by His Rule and His power will are never alone.
Stay tuned.
Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection on Lonely? Keep Away from Satan, He Majors in Loneliness.
God Reflection 
Good morning, Gary. Starting the day with Thanksgiving helps to keep me on track with my Lord. My big Thanksgiving is for my mother who saw that we were introduced to Jesus at a very young age. A precious memory is Grandma Brummet who was my teacher in preschool Bible class.
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I remember Grandma Brumett as one of the godly faith-filled godly women who was always present at our church. How many she must have influenced for good! – Gary
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