How to Treat Those Who Are Lonely
Adapted from Daily Devotions from Psalms
The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
God seems to have a special place in His heart for those who are lonely, and He wants us to be good to them. Psalm 68:6 (NIV) says that He “sets the lonely in families….” If you know someone who has no family, you can include them in some of your family functions. Invite them to your home for Thanksgiving dinner, a Fourth of July celebration, and other such events.
God gave the Israelites commands about how they were to include the foreigners and strangers among them (Deuteronomy 10:19; Leviticus 19:34). And Hebrews 13:2 instructs believers to show hospitality to strangers. We tend to gravitate toward people we know and are comfortable with, but God wants us to reach beyond our comfort zone and think about how it would feel to be alone so we will include the lonely in our lives.
The Lord mentions the fatherless and the widow frequently in Scripture and instructs us to be good to them and to help meet their needs. James writes that religion that is pure and undefiled is about visiting and helping to care for the widows and orphans in their distress (James 1:27).
Choose a widowed person in your church and show special attention to them. You can informally adopt them into your family. If you are going to lunch after church on Sunday, you can include them. There are many ways to minister to the lonely if we will just think about it, and when we do, it will put a smile on God’s face.
Prayer of the Day: Father, help me remember how You feel about those who are lonely, and show me who I can minister to and help alleviate their loneliness. Help me walk in love with everyone and show kindness wherever possible, amen.
