Never Alone

Written By:  Brian Keel

I was reading a devotional by Alistair Begg this morning, and what I read resonated pretty deeply in my heart.

The holiday season is an extremely lonely time for many people. It may be their first Christmas without a loved one. It may be a yearly reminder of those we have held so close to our hearts. Depression sets in and we feel like God has forgotten about us. We feel as though those who were around us are no longer there, and God has gone with them.

David felt this way when he cried out to God in Psalms 13:1-2, asking Him multiple times: “How long? How long will you forget about me? How long will you look the other way? How long must I anguish in my soul, and my heart be full of sorrow? How long?”

The loneliness we feel in these times from missing the company of loved ones can be suffocating. But here, David isn’t feeling lonely from missing human companionship. He’s feeling the even greater desolation of being separated from God. We all have bouts of depression when we feel this way. What we can’t see in the midst of these times is that our perception can’t be further from reality.

What we “FEEL” isn’t lining up with what we “KNOW”. Our emotions LIE to us and we believe that we are truly isolated from God. We “feel” God has forgotten about us. In Isaiah 49:15-16 the LORD tells His people: “A nursing woman can forget about her child and have no compassion on the son of her womb, but I will not forget you. LOOK, I have written your name on the palms of my hands….”

Think about that. The foreshadowing and symbolism here is unbelievably awesome and beautiful. God has written our names on HIS hands! The same hands that would later be pierced to give us our salvation and make us whole. HE has written our names on the very body part that will be opened up and bleed when He is crucified. The blood streaming from His hands, running over the names that He has written on His palms. His blood has cleansed us from the moment we believed. Our name was written on His palms, He was nailed to the cross and His blood poured from the open wounds in His hands, and covered us. My illustrations may not be literal, but think about what the meaning is here.

In our loneliness, in our struggling, in our perceived desolation, He has never forgotten us, nor will He ever forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). So during these times when we are hurting and “feeling” alone, I know it’s easier said than done, but we should try our best to remember that we are never forgotten or alone. From the moment we believed, our names were inscribed onto the palms that were nailed to a tree, and always present with our Savior and our God.
  

~Brian

 
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About Brian:
“I was born in southern Alabama, so sweet tea and college football run through my veins. I am an Auburn fan through and through. I grew up just outside of Toledo, Ohio, but I am in no way, shape, or form a Buckeyes fan. Appearances show that I’m gruff and a bit intimidating, but I’m one of the biggest teddy bears when I need to be. At times I may seem pretty rough around the edges, but I am straight and to the point. What you see is what you get. I’m an Air Force vet of fourteen and a half years. I’ve lived in Mississippi, Nebraska, Georgia, Ohio, and now Michigan. I’ve been deployed twice. I have a wonderful wife and three great kiddos. The Lord has blessed me more than I have ever or will ever deserve. I put in the effort to apply what I learn Biblically to my everyday life, but like everyone, I fall short of where I should be. I pray that the words God gives me to share with you are able to encourage you, push you, and challenge you to strengthen your walk with Him.”
 
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