Anchorage: The Storm of Loneliness | Part 5 of 8Sample

He Knows You! We all long to fit in and be accepted for who we truly are. But when we try to satisfy this longing, we are faced with an emptiness that we can’t quite seem to comprehend. Whether it be your family or friends, no one can truly know the “real you.” Nobody can completely understand you. “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” This emptiness that we grapple with is something that God put in us innately so that we can turn to Him in our loneliness. He is the only one who can fully quench this longing in us, a longing to be known, recognized, and loved. Often, we try to fill this void by turning to things that only satisfy us momentarily. But once we enter into an intimate relationship with God, he gives us the strength and ability to overcome our weaknesses. As we draw from this love that God imparts to us, we begin to see the people around us differently. We cannot give to others what we do not possess and what we ourselves have never experienced. But when we encounter God’s unconditional, immeasurable, and surpassing love, we begin to give to others this love, as much as we receive it. We all know the story about the Samaritan woman by the well who encountered Jesus. She was an outcast among her people, living in sin and loneliness. She had given up all hope of redemption and was resigned to her fate. But the day she met Jesus, her life was changed forever. Here was a man who knew her! Not the version of her that everyone around her saw; not her past and her sins. He saw her as she was, and yet, there was no judgement. Although her past was exposed and her sins were laid bare in front of her, Jesus offered her hope. Hope that she had previously never dreamed of finding. Hope that gave her a new purpose and new life. You may be struggling with certain areas of your life. Maybe you’ve given up on yourself and you don’t think you can be accepted and loved for who you truly are. But just like this woman, you have hope. Jesus did not come to condemn her and pass judgement. Rather, He came to show her that nothing she ever did could separate her from the love of God. He came to offer redemption and the chance to start over. It doesn’t matter how many people have neglected you or how many times you’ve been written off as insignificant. God considers you precious, unique and worth pursuing. That’s the only opinion of you that counts! Reflection Do you believe that the hold of your past is stronger than the gift of redemption that God is willing to offer you? Have you believed the words of those around you when they brushed you off as insignificant and unimportant? God treasures and values you irrespective of what you’ve done. He loves you just as you are and is willing to give you a second chance at life.