All a poor man’s brothers hate him;
    how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.
Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
    he who keeps understanding will discover good. (Proverbs 19:7-8 ESV)

Observations:

• Any kind of poverty (lack of wealth, health, relationships, influence) can lead to feelings of isolation
• Sometimes family and friends withdraw from a person who lacks resources
• Even the person’s words don’t draw people back to his or her side.
• A person must seek sense or wisdom in order to take good care of his/her own soul

As an introvert I enjoy time alone, but I don’t want to feel lonely. I thrive in the quiet.  A longing for time set aside and tucked away in solitude interrupts my days from time to time. However, a lack of relationships, resources, health, or influence can make my heart ache. In seasons of lack, friends and family might keep their distance because standing next to suffering may feel difficult.

Sometimes God uses isolation to help me see what I am lacking in my spiritual life. He might even allow friends and family to pull away from me. Chasing them down with the chatter of my own voice will only lead to greater frustration.

How does a farmer restore his fields? A fallow field is land that a farmer plows but does not cultivate for one or more seasons to allow the field to become more fertile. A time of setting aside makes room for restoration.

Isolation, or a season of being fallow, can be an invitation for me to seek Godly wisdom and spend more time in God’s word. I draw nearer because God has cleared my calendar, my to do list, my ability to keep running around. In those still and quiet moments, I will discover what is truly good.

Prayer

Lord, in the seasons of isolation or lack, let me seek you first to refill me. Help me depend only on you. Cause me to give thanks for the fallow seasons because in these times you are preparing for a bountiful harvest. I will draw near and seek your goodness for me, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen