I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 10th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the book of Mathew 1:23:

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

What a beautiful scripture and of course you know the very same scripture is in the Book of Isaiah 7:14, which was written about seven hundred years before the birth of Christ. Isn’t that incredible?

This morning I believe I’m talking to some people who are lonely. Are you lonely today? I looked up the Oxford dictionary to define the word loneliness. It means sad because one has no friends or company. It means solitary. People even advertise in the newspaper, the Lonely Hearts Club. It’s not funny - it’s very, very sad. But I want to tell you the good news this morning, there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. You’ll find that in Proverbs 18:24.

In the kitchen of our little house, Jill has put something up on the wall and this is what it says, “Where there is tea there is hope.” Where there is tea or you can say coffee if you want, there is hope. You know there is nothing nicer than to come home when I’ve been away, and to sit by our wood stove in the kitchen, with a nice hot cup of tea and have a good chat to my best friend. Yes, it is something I always look forward to.  

Now maybe today you are feeling lonely. Well, I want to tell you that Jesus Christ came down from heaven to earth because He knows that you are lonely, and He wants to be your friend, but if you look at that verse in Proverbs 18:24, it starts off and it says:

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly.”

If you want to have friends, you must be friendly. Today we need to go out and be friendly to other people, but I just feel I need to pray for you. 

Father, 

I want to pray this morning for our dear friend who is feeling lonely. Maybe their loved one has gone to be with you, Lord, or maybe their children have gone overseas or maybe there’s a young student who is studying in another country and just feels so lonely for that cup of tea with their family. Today, remind them that You are with them always. You’ve said in your word in Hebrews 13:5: ”I will never leave you and I will forsake you.” 

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God bless you and have a wonderful day,
Goodbye.