On the road to the cross, Jesus suffered on many occasions. He experienced abandonment, false accusations, abusive language, physical beatings, and death upon the cross. All of the suffering was painful, with an element of loneliness present in each case. When we obey God’s truth, we too may experience the loneliness involved in suffering.

The people around Jesus knew the truth, but were unwilling to accept the truth. This left Jesus to fulfill God’s will alone. We know in Matthew 26 that the disciples deserted Jesus. Alone, Jesus moved through the night led by a group of bounty hunters and betrayed by Judas to an unjust trial. In the distance, Peter is following, trying in his own strength to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. Peter would soon deny Jesus three times. Through this denial, Peter realized that Jesus had been speaking the truth and he had been rejecting the truth. Through his rejection, Peter left Jesus lonely and unsupported. Peter is just one of the many who rejected the truth given to him by Jesus.

As Jesus suffered, we too will suffer (we are not above our Master). We may experience unjust physical, psychological, verbal, financial, or other forms of abuse. In whatever form suffering may come, it has the potential to leave us feeling like we have been deserted (loneliness). In the presence of desertion, we may question if following the truth is worth the pain involved. During such times, we must realize that God uses loneliness to deepen us in following after Him. Jesus said in Mark 8:34-38,  we must be willing to leave all to follow Him.

Truth and loneliness often accompany each other on the road to fulfilling God’s will, but the comfort we can rest in is that truth is always proved right and God never deserts us. We must hold steadfast to truth as we trust that God will handle any rejection and loneliness we may experience.

It is my prayer that we will always follow God. But the reality is that the temptation to give up is always taunting us to take an easier road. This taunting, whether from friends or enemies, is always an attack from Satan. We must hold true to the prayer of surrender we made in our Garden of Gethsemane to do God’s will, not our own will.

Action Steps

Ask yourself, will I respond to truth and take the suffering and loneliness that may be involved in fulfilling God’s will? Or will I reject the truth of God for a version of my own will that ultimately leaves me empty?

Prayer For The Day

O God, may I see your truth and respond no matter the cost. Take me from clinging to my comfort and my common sense, and plunge me into dependence on Your Word and Your way. May I not fear suffering or loneliness, for You are with me and much acquainted with both. Amen.