Luke 2:34-35, New Living Translation

“Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, ‘This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.’”

It seems that we always hear about the love and forgiveness of God. However, there are many more aspects to our Lord than that. The greatest expression of this love and forgiveness is that He sent His son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we could be reunited into relationship with the Father. In order to receive this forgiveness, and restoration into relationship with the Father, we first must come to the realization of who we truly are in light of Him.

There are people who have become professionals at hiding who they truly are. They know all the right words to say, all the right clothes to wear, and they know how to cover up their sin. No one around them may know what they are going through, or what they are involved in. As someone who has been in this very position for many years of my life, I will say that it is a very lonely way to live. A person can feel isolated and cut off from their family and friends because they believe that if they truly knew them, they would reject who they are.

When a person is in this position, there is an interesting dynamic that takes place. On the one hand, they believe that they have successfully fooled everyone around them and their secret is safe. They feel secure in the belief that the hidden part of their lives will stay hidden. On the other hand, they have a deep desire for someone to see past the exterior, to see who they really are, and to love, accept, and help them. There is one fundamental truth that is so important for those who are in this situation, and in fact for all of us, to understand. God knows everything. By “everything”, we are not talking only about what can be seen on the exterior, but also everything that cannot be seen. He knows the deepest thoughts and feelings that each of us has, and He also knows everything that we try to hide or cover up. Not a single person can hide something from the Lord. There is nothing that you can say or reveal that will surprise Him. Whatever you are doing or involved in, whatever has happened in your past, or whatever you believe you have done that goes beyond the point of forgiveness, He knows about it! There is only one thing He is waiting for you to do and that is to acknowledge Him in your life and admit to Him who you truly are.

Jesus knows who you are already. He knows everything about you, including all of the things that you hide from those around you. Yet, He still died for you, because of His great love for you. He can be that friend to help you through and to know who you truly are. Turn to Him and fall into His arms, let Him forgive you, heal you, and set you free from the bondage that has isolated you for so long.