People are lonelier now than ever.

Even though loneliness is often portrayed as a weakness, what happened in the beginning suggests otherwise. On the sixth day of creation, just before God rested the power of his universe-creating voice, he spoke about one final detail that still needed attention:

“It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).

I often joke that the reason for this observation was because Adam couldn’t properly dress himself, but the truth is that community was and still is an essential component of our humanity.

God is love, and Adam was created in God’s image. But Adam could not show love when he was alone.

In other words, Adam was lonely, not because there was something wrong with him. He was lonely because he was perfect.

When you feel lonely, that means something is right with you. Not only did God design you to crave community, but God personally redeemed you through Christ to reflect his love to others.

Today I’m praying for the people reading this devotion who are struggling with loneliness. May the same voice that brought joy to Adam bring hope to you today: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:10).

Jesus declares that though you feel alone, you are never by yourself. Though you feel isolated, you are never abandoned. Surely he is with you today just as his Word declares.