My friends and I recently stumbled into a newfound obsession: taking personality tests online. Relentlessly, we’ve scoured the Internet for psychological quizzes, raced through the analytical questions and compared our results. Which of us is the most introverted? Which of us has the most aggressive personality? Which of us is the easiest to get along with?

Without fail, each one of these personality tests contains some variation of the same question. Do you prefer to spend time alone or in large groups? For me, it’s always been the easiest question on the quiz; I absolutely love my alone time.

As much as I covet quiet time and personal space, I’ve recently been rethinking my kneejerk answer to this question. My wife and I both have new jobs and our free time doesn’t overlap like it used to. What used to feel like relaxing “me-time” now feels like a lonely night without my best friend. Living far away from my extended family used to feel like “personal space.” Now I merely feel distant from the people I love most.

And my experience of loneliness is incredibly tame when compared with the experience of many people I know. My neighbor’s wife died suddenly this week. He’s struggling to go through the motions of “normal” life without his lifelong companion. One friend faces the heartbreak of a painful breakup. Another just moved hundreds of miles away from her closest friends. In each case, loneliness haunts the painful twists and turns of our lives.

If you identify with these stories of loneliness, turn to God’s Word for comfort. Read through the four Bible verses below and ask God to reveal his powerful presence to you, especially during those sad moments when you feel most alone.

1. Deuteronomy 31:6 (GNTD)
   “Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the Lord himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.”
2. Isaiah 57:15 (GNTD)
   “I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope.”
3. Psalm 139:7 (GNTD)
   “Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence?”
4. Jeremiah 29:13 (GNTD)
   “You will seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart.”