The Gift of Isolation
I Kings 18:3-4
Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah was a man who greatly feared the LORD and took 100 prophets and hid them with food and water when Jezebel slaughtered the LORD’s prophets.
Prophets were God’s messengers to the people, and He spoke through them. When evil authority was in place that sought to shut the mouth of God among His people, He hid 100 of them for safekeeping. Jezebel slaughtered God’s prophets in order to promote the prophets of Baal and make Baal worship supreme in Israel. Baal was the god of fertility and prosperity and included all kinds of ungodly sexual practices as a part of worship. She sought to eliminate all voices that taught there was anything wrong with her god or the evil lifestyle she treasured.
As widows, we know that isolation can be bad as we seek to gain new identity and connect with society again. The devil will often isolate us before he attacks, leaving us in states of depression, hopelessness, and loneliness. We find times in Scripture, however, that God isolates His people for their own protection. As women who may find ourselves alone much of the time, we must learn how to handle isolation and the negative emotions that may accompany it.
If you find yourself feeling isolated or disconnected, use it to your advantage. Spend time in prayer and in God’s word. Develop a strong connection with God and learn to hear His voice. Read those books you’ve put back on a shelf. Tackle the home project you’ve put on the back-burner. Make yourself productive in some way. Volunteer with a charity, church, or school. Use your isolation as a time of development, and don’t sit and think about how bad your situation is. God may be isolating you for your own protection until He deals with your enemies. If you will use times of isolation as developmental times, God will bless you and open doors for you.
A couple of years after my husband died, I found myself struggling with isolation and stumbling on the verge of depression. I knew I had to do something to occupy my mind. After some prayer, I decided to enter seminary classes online. A year and a half later, I had earned a Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies and re-connected with a love for writing and teaching. Don’t succumb to the emotions of isolation; take advantage of it to enhance your life in some way.
A change in perspective can change your life. Instead of accepting the negative thoughts and emotions of isolation, learn to see yourself as protected by God. He will bring you out of this at some point, and you can have something valuable to share if you let Him develop you during seasons of isolation. As with other seasons, this too shall pass. Make the most of it and gain from it. Your next season could just be a whirlwind of excitement that makes you long for some down time. Every day is a gift – even when you are by yourself.
Have a blessed day!