When You’re Lonely 当你孤独时

[Dexu Xia]

You are with me. Psalm 23:4

At 7 p.m., Hui-Liang was in his kitchen, eating rice and leftover fish balls. The Chua family in the apartment next door was having dinner too, and their laughter and conversation cut through the silence of Hui-Liang’s unit, where he had lived alone since his wife died. He’d learned to live with loneliness; over the years, its stabbing pain had become a dull ache. But tonight, the sight of the one bowl and pair of chopsticks on his table pierced him deeply.

Before he went to bed that night, Hui-Liang read Psalm 23, his favorite psalm. The words that mattered most to him are only four syllables: “You are with me” (v. 4). More than the shepherd’s practical acts of care toward the sheep, it was his steadfast presence and loving gaze over every detail of the life of the sheep (vv. 2−5) that gave Hui-Liang peace.

Just knowing that someone is there, that someone is with us, brings great comfort in those lonely moments. God promises His children that His love will always be with us (Psalm 103:17), and that He’ll never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). When we feel alone and unseen—whether in a quiet kitchen, on the bus going home from work, or even in a crowded supermarket—we can know that the Shepherd’s gaze is always on us. We can say, “You are with me.”

By:  Karen Huang

When do you usually feel lonely? How does Psalm 23 encourage you?

Loving God, thank You for always being with me.

 祢与我同在。—诗篇23篇4节

晚上七点，辉良独自一人在厨房里吃晚餐，一碗白米饭和一些隔夜的鱼丸。隔壁邻居蔡先生一家人也正在吃晚餐，他们的欢声笑语打破了辉良住处的寂静。自妻子过世之后，辉良就一直独居。他已经学会了忍受孤独，多年来，寂寞所带来的伤痛已使他的心变得麻木。但这天晚上，餐桌上那孤伶伶的一副碗筷，却深深刺痛他的心。

那天晚上临睡前，辉良读了所喜爱的诗篇23篇。对他而言，其中最让他感到安慰的就是这五个字：“祢与我同在”（4节）。上帝这位牧人不仅以实际的行动关怀祂的羊，更重要的是祂会永远与祂的羊同在，慈爱地看顾他们的每个生活细节（2-5节），这让辉良的心中满有平安。

当我们感到孤独时，只要知道有人关心我们，或是有人陪伴我们，就会给我们带来极大的安慰。上帝应许祂的子民，祂的慈爱会一直与我们同在（诗篇103篇17节），而且祂绝不会撇下我们（希伯来书13章5节）。当我们感到孤单，或是遭人忽视的时候，无论是在寂静的厨房里，或是在下班后搭车返家的路程中，甚或在人潮拥挤的超市里，我们可以确信，这位大牧者一直都在看顾我们。我们也同样可以肯定地说：“祢与我同在。”

作者：  黃嘉仁

通常在什么时候，你的内心会感到孤独？诗篇23篇如何带给你鼓励？

慈爱的上帝，感谢祢一直与我同在。