Hosea 13:9, 10a O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy king: where is any other…?
I think everyone knows that you can be lonely in a crowd. If you go to any large city, or even a small town, the sidewalks and subways are filled with people, yet it seems like most everyone is lost in their own thoughts, their own world, and lost to everyone else. It is very possible to be lonely in a crowd. That is because loneliness, in essence, is the absence of people that matter to you, people that know you and love you.
Even when you are happily married, have a best friend, or whatever the case may be, there are burdens and responsibilities that you have, whether it is a health verdict or homework due the next day, that no one else can take for you. Many times we are isolated by our problems. We are isolated by our needs. We feel lonely.
Did you know that the worst loneliness in the world is intentional? It is chosen. In Hosea 13:9-10, God said to His wayward people, “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy king: where is any other…?” God says, “Israel, you have chosen your own king, but you are in trouble. You are lonely. You destroyed yourself.”
That is the theme that is carried on in chapter 10. Over and again you find this idea of “your troubles are your own; they are because of your decisions; you have done this to yourself.” God did not hate them, but they had done this to themselves.
So, the worst loneliness is chosen. At the end of the day, God will never leave you nor forsake you. God knows you, and God loves you anyway. Sometimes we feel forsaken. We feel like no one knows, no one can meet the need, and no one cares. That is not true if you are talking about God. Unlike even the closest person on earth to you, God not only knows your need, He knows what your problem really is even if you don’t know. God loves you, and He is capable.
Israel was filled with their own way. They were exalted and they had forgotten God though God hadn’t forgotten them. Their gods were according to their own understanding and the works of their own hands. You are as able as the god you serve. You are as rich as your money, as strong as your health, and as smart as your intellect, but all those things have limitations. God is unlimited.
In chapter 14 God says, “From me is thy fruit found.” God has what you need. You need never be lonely. Remember God and let Him be your help today.