I tried getting your attention, but you were so engrossed in your phone that you didn’t hear me.

I tried getting your attention, but you were so enamored with likes on social media.

I tried getting your attention, but you were too busy hanging with friends.

I tried getting your attention, but you’re never alone.

Is being alone so bad that we intentionally avoid it? The truth is we sometimes listen better when we’re alone hence God places us in alone situations so he can get our undivided attention.

Moses was tending sheep on his own in the wilderness when he heard the voice of God speaking to him from a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-4).

Elijah was standing alone on a mountain when he heard The Lord whisper in the wind (1 Kings 19:11-13).

John was imprisoned on the remote island of Patmos when he hears the voice of The Lord instructing him to write down the final revelation of scripture (Revelation 1:9-11).

Although I’ve never found myself alone in the wilderness, on a mountain or abandoned on a remote island. I have definitely been in lonely spaces and hard-pressed places. Have you?

Maybe your lonely space or hard-pressed place consisted of a job or academic setting beyond your comfort zone. Perhaps you’re navigating a situation your friends can’t understand, you’re carrying an ache or burden that seems impossible to fix or it’s due to self-inflicted choices.

Aloneness is something few would choose. But there is a gift tucked in its unwanted crevices if we’re willing to unwrap it. Aloneness reveals our longing to hear from God who sees our need, knows our ache and understands our burden.

I remember when I was in an aloneness season and in that moment, I opened my Bible as a listener instead of just a learner. I realized it was not enough to merely read about Jesus, I wanted and needed to hear from Jesus.

Just as listening to the people around us requires time and intention, so does listening to the voice of The Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. The more time you spend with Jesus the more you come to know His voice. Our Redeemer was intentional in carving out time away from the noise of His purpose to ensure He had time to not only converse with The Father but to listen to the instructions of The Father.

Not only does aloneness hone our hearing. But the best part of aloneness, we find hearing also calms and relieves our aloneness. When we hear the voice of The Lord, it’s a reminder that The Holy Spirt (the Comforter) dwells in us, thus we’re not alone.

PEARLStoPONDER: Maybe it’s time to stop fretting about our aloneness season and turn it into a listening season so we can discover for ourselves aloneness can be the greatest gift.

Matthew 14:23-- And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

John 10:27-- My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.