How Loneliness Can Draw You Closer to Jesus I-II

Loneliness is like an ache and often we feel ashamed to admit that we feel lonely. Ruth Graham shares national statistics about how half of American adults feel lonely, and how loneliness can affect us emotionally and physiologically. Ruth describes her 4 failed marriages and how her father, Billy, was very gracious and forgiving of her mistakes. Part of Ruth’s loneliness stemmed from missing her father as a child. She relates the Bible story of Hagar and how God sees us when we’re lonely, and she described the value of having community. On day 2, Ruth shares more stories about Bible characters who learned importance lessons in their loneliness — David, Daniel, and Abraham. Then Ruth shares her favorite memory about a lonely Christmas where her husband went on a hunting trip, but she found ways to express her gratitude and even worship to the Lord. Ruth describes some dangerous responses to loneliness, and she explains how solitude is better than loneliness, but it’s a choice we have to make in our perspective.

For more from Ruth Graham, check out his book Transforming Loneliness.