The Other Side Of The Holidays

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY DECEMBER 18, 2001
(Joshua 1:5)

No one will be able to oppose you as long as you live, for I will be with you just as I was with Moses; I will not abandon you or fail to help you.

The other side of the holidays. While we usually think of this time of year as a time of being with family and friends, a time of great joy, the fact is for many it is one of the worst times of the year. Many people dread the holiday season because for many reasons they are alone, and feel left out of the festivities associated with this time of year. It is the time of year when suicides are at their highest. Being alone takes on a new significance during the holiday season. This devotional today is dedicated to all of you out there who feel this way. You don't have the joy, the spirit of this Christmas season because you are alone.

I want to encourage you today. First of all, I want to remind you as God told Joshua, as the Lord told his disciples.."I will never leave you nor forsake you." The fact is, God is always with us. While that fact is comforting, it still does not alleviate the loneliness many feel from a lack of human companionship. In the Book of Hebrews, God commanded that we "not forsake the fellowship of one another." You see, one of the important facets of being part of a local church, is that it is a source of fellowship. It is where we can find people of like faith, who become part of our life. While many of you understand God is always there, and you have fellowship with other believers, you are still dealing with being alone.

The real loneliness that is so real during this time of year, is the loneliness that comes from not having a spouse, or not having that close intimate relationship with family. There is no substitute for that. One of life's mysteries to me after many years in the ministry is why God allows some to remain single..I wish I had an answer..I don't. The other night when I was with a family whose son was killed by a drunk driver. Why, they kept asking. I had no answer. The best I can do is to encourage you to treat it like any other battle. Get a plan... pray.. ask God for wisdom.. have someone to be accountable to who will walk thru this with you and then rely on the strength God can give you each day. Don't be frustrated if you don't see results right away. His timing is always perfect. Don't force it, but do the things God leads you to do to. God knows your desire, and understands your need. As for family, as I shared the other day, do all you can to reconcile where reconciliation is needed. In many cases, there is no family. That is why being part of a local church family is so important.

I love you so much. I care about you I know the pain and hurt so many are going thru during this wonderful season when so many appear to be so full of joy. Please know that you will be in my prayers. I wish I had magical answers, but there are none. However, there is One who does have the answer. It is during these times in our life, those times when we hurt and things don't make sense that we need to press in even deeper to our daily walk with Christ. You see, that is what will sustain us through those lonely, difficult times. The promises in His Word are true. We need to find our peace, comfort,and joy in Him. In our service to Him. My best advice for those who are lonely, is to know that you are not alone. Find ways to serve others during this Christmas season. It is in your service that you find the true meaning not only of Christmas, but in what being as Christian is all about. It is also in service that we realize we really are never alone as long as we have Jesus.

As difficult as this Christmas season may be for you, because you are alone, let me remind you that I am always here for you. You have the promise of God's Word that He will never leave you nor forsake you, and there are people out there who are also hurting. Let the Lord use you to bring His hope, His love to someone else who may be alone this Christmas season.

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

If I can help you in any way you can contact me through my personal email at bkeller@liveprayer.com.

***I am excited to let you know that the Liveprayer Daily Devotional is now available via audio each day. Simply go to http://www.liveprayer.com/DailyDevotionalAudio.html. Click on "Search by Category", then locate DAILY DEVOTIONAL. I want to thank Ed Morando for making this service available for FREE to Liveprayer.com.

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