No man is an island.

Many would agree with this, but hard times can leave us wondering who to consistently rely on. Where do you run when crisis hits? You know, at 3 a.m., when your migraine makes you wonder if your heavenly mansion is ready yet? Or you’re wide awake with worry and grief over a lost job, loved one, or friend? Or financial problems threaten to pull you under? We need the love and support of others, but they’re not always able or willing to meet our needs. And the consequent feeling of aloneness can make the hard vastly harder.

Even when things are going well, emotional and relational needs steadily knock at our door. The modern-day epidemic of busyness thwarts many a promising relationship, romantic or otherwise. But in reality, we’re not meant to deeply connect with every person we meet, or every person we feel drawn to. It’s not even possible to do so, given the natural limits on time, as well as physical and emotional energy. Whether due to overly full schedules, human limitations, or a host of other factors, the unavailability of others leaves us lonely again.

Still, we possess a powerful desire to belong and to connect with others. Its pressure is unyielding. But God’s love, presence, acceptance, and help — constantly available — fill this hunger (Romans 8:38; Psalm 16:11; Isaiah 55:1–3; Psalm 46:10 NIV).

They help curb my disappointment and sadness when I face rejection. As a single woman, there are times when I'm interested in a guy who doesn't reciprocate that interest. And it can be painful. Or, there are times when I need help but have difficulty finding it. When others don’t want me or simply don’t have time for me, God does. He’s available to meet our needs, and provide people to step in and help on his behalf.

The same holds true if you’re married. Your spouse may spend too much time at work, your child may shut you out, or your family may be locked into so much conflict that intimacy can’t possibly flourish. You feel alone, again. But God is always there. He is the “friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).” And he’s the go-to guy for mending broken relationships.

God is the one person you can talk to 24 hours a day, every day. He's always available — always welcoming humble hearts that truly desire his company, and even messy hearts willing to change. Even the best of friends and closest family need time to themselves, but not God. He doesn’t get tired of us. In fact, he wants us to live in constant connection with him.

John 15:5 encourages us in this: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). By staying in God's presence, our lives become full of purpose, meaning, peace, adventure, and so much more. We have an open door to experience as much of God as we want. With all that he has to offer, the best of which is him, why would we set our hearts on any other pursuit?

In Luke 12, a Jewish rabbi (teacher of the law) asks Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” Jesus replies, “is this . . . ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28–31).

Jesus explains that the most important thing in life is to love, but there’s more to these verses. They imply relationship. Our greatest purpose is living in a loving relationship with God and others. In fact, we’re made for this. What an affirmation! God wants to be with us. In God, we always have a place to belong, and a person to belong to. We also have one who draws us into relationship with others. Both directly and indirectly, he meets our most fundamental need for love. In the darkest times of life when emotions overwhelm, don’t allow loneliness to envelop you. Cast it off as you seek him. Your maker, who knows everything about you, loves and desires you. Move into his presence and find his welcoming arms.