God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy
But he makes the rebellious live in a
sun-scorched land.
Oh, how I do not want to live in a sun-scorched land!
Have you felt at times that you were there? Completely alone, with nothing to nourish or sustain life? I have been in such a land, and I do not wish to dwell there.
I am fascinated by the placement of these statements in the middle of a song praising the power and greatness of the Lord of the universe. It’s quite a chapter, describing God smashing his enemies, blowing them away like smoke, melting them like wax in a fire, and all the earth trembling before him.
And in the middle of all that, we have a statement that God places the lonely in families. Later comes this picture: Each day he carries us in his arms. Our God is a God who saves!
In the New Testament, we read that all of us who believe in Jesus can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit and become members of God’s family.
For the children of God, there are bonds stronger than human family relationships. Even those of us who have strong family ties can feel a deeper loneliness.
But the Father has chosen you, child of God, and brought you into a family in a realm far beyond any earthly family. Connections that transcend family trees and blood identities and the short span of human life are the work of the Spirit, placing us in the family of God.
Psalm 68:5,19-20; Ephesians 2:18-19 (all NLT)
Coming up: Let’s get real. Families fight, families fall apart, family members murder each other.
Living with great expectation ... 
Last night in small group the question was asked, “what do the homeless do for fun?” I see them gathering in the parks in Akron where I work. I don’t know that we came up with an answer. It appears that they have their own “homeless” family. We gravitate to those who are like us. I am not sure where I am going here, but I know that one can be lonely in the midst of a gathering of friends and family and no one knows, except God. He was lonely too in the Garden of Gethsemene when his friends deserted him. We can feel “homeless” at times. It is a great comfort to me to know that God wants to have an intimate relationship with me and that he seeks me out. He really wants me to know Him and love Him and He loves me. We cannot hide or run away from Him. If we go to the depths of the sea, He is there, if we hide in a cave, He is there, if we climb the mountain top, He is there. Praise God.
Talking about connections that go beyond family ties, I have experienced that a great number of times at work.
A customer will be there for only moments, just long enough to pay for their purchases, or they may be waiting on a friend or family member. One short comment will reveal that they are a “child of God”, and BINGO! There is a connection, and conversation continues. Such a day brightener! (is that a word? ? )