Psalm 27 verse 10: Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
Isaiah 61 verses 1-3: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise, instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Psalm 147 verse 3: He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
When we look at three of these scriptures on being left out, we often think of how God gives us the strength to overcome challenges we face.
I'd like to think of the many things that I've been through, but let me share something on my heart with all of you.
I have felt left out, I have felt lonely, I have trouble making and keeping friends. I didn't have a best friend until high school.
Although, things changed with that in 2020, I found a ministry during Covid. I found Christian Media Spotlight hosted and run by Joseph Neal, and in 2021 I found Red Stainbrook's ministry Reds Room because of Joshua Gammon, who invited me.
I've always longed for friends that I could do life with, I always longed for friendships that would turn into best family for life friendships and I always longed for people like Joe and Red who would become best friends as well as many others and hope to realize time after time that they will never leave because that type of friendship that then becomes family is one of the greatest kinds.
In 2021 of September, I did my very first outreach message where Joe hosted me, and for me that was very special because it reminds me in how far I've come since then. Joe and Red and many others I've met, have continued to help me become the best version of myself, they have helped me to see my potential, and more importantly they remind me that all I have to do is be who God made me to be and because of that reminder, I am very thankful, yet grateful, and blessed to know that they will always have my back and stick up for me, and support me in anything that I go through or face.
When I was figuring out what to type for a study this week, I settled on the title Battle Belongs and when it came to this outreach, well I was going to do a study on what it's like to feel left out but then I thought, well why not do an outreach study or in this case an outreach message on that very thing.
I know there may only be three scriptures, however when God calls us to take our Faith into Action, when He calls us to share what He is calling us to share, that is when we don't try and start to figure out what we need to figure out on our own, but more importantly what it is that God wants for our life.
God is our refuge and our strength and He is our stronghold.
I think it is so easy for me to have the feeling of left out, or the feeling of am I going to lose a friendship or loneliness feeling at times, because of what people who showed me they weren't really a friend, tried to get me to believe and to have a little doubt in things.
Although, I'm here to tell each and every single one of you, that God loves you, that God has a plan for your life and that He loves you.
No matter what you face, no matter what lies ahead, just remember that God is going to keep building you up and He won't let you down. He will never let you down because God is our Father.
He is our Heavenly Father, who loves us so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross to forgive us of our sins, so that we would have everlasting life.
I want us to remember that when we feel left out, Jesus will be our friend and He will be there to listen to us and help us along the way.
What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear, What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer, O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer, Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer, Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, Take it to the Lord in prayer.
You see, we will always have a friend in Jesus and we will always have the friends who become best friends that are family and who look out for us, who help us when things get tough, and who will always have our best interests at heart because God loves us that much that He would not let us down, and with the right people in life, we know we can count on them to be there just like we are there for them and that's the beauty of people who come into our life for a purpose and when it's a greater purpose that God has given to us.
Lose One Friend. Lose All Friends. Lose Yourself.
