“You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” (John 16:32 NIV)

Willard MacDonald was enlisted to serve in the Canadian forces during World War II. He had other plans, however, and along with two friends, he jumped off of the troop train as it passed through the province of Nova Scotia. His two buddies were caught, but he wasn’t. His secret? He had run deep into the forest, and he didn’t come out. Ever.

Willard built his own cabin, a tiny affair with one window and no door. With the window serving for a door, it was rough, through and through. He lived off of the land, hunting and fishing his way through the seasons. He was sure that no one would ever find him, way out there in the middle of nowhere. He would be safe, and completely alone. Just the way he wanted it to be.

And he was right. He lived in his hut for 60 years, for years no one knowing he was there.

However, eventually all-terrain vehicles became a popular sport in the province of Nova Scotia, and people soon began exploring Willard’s woods with their noisy contraptions. Eventually they began to notice that there was someone living in those woods, and then the unthinkable happened: People started to take interest in this hermit, and over time, they began to leave food for him. The more courageous even gave him the food-gifts directly. In fact, the people cared so much for Willard that he became the first Canadian in history to receive a pension without having to sign for it.

But Willard seems never to have collected the money. Who needs money when you are living off of the wild? Especially when people continually supply you with food?

His pension accumulated, and the nearby townspeople decided to use it to build Willard a new place, one with real windows and a real door, one that was closer to their community.

Willard refused.

Then one day, his shack burned down. It wasn’t long after this that he crawled off into the woods. Nothing more was heard from Willard for eight long months, until the day his body was recovered from the edge of a lake. He had died of exposure.

Even though Willard thought he was alone, he never truly was. He may have been a real recluse, but he still had people who cared for him. In fact, they cared so much that he no longer needed to hunt or fish, and he could have easily chosen to live in a real home. Though he rejected the kindness of the people, they continued to care.

It is the same with God. You may turn Him down, but He, too, will never stop caring for you. “You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.”

Think about it! You are never alone! In times of hurt and pain, your Father is always there! When you face the impossible, He still stands beside you! If you could put on spiritual glasses, you would find His footprints all over you, no matter where you are or what you’ve been through! He cares, and He cares deeply, so deeply that He was willing to die for you. Imagine, the King of Kings being willing to die just for you! You truly are important to Him!

And because He is always there for you, you “have truly nothing to fear. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17 NIV)

You can feel His embrace, even His tears where you are hurt. You may feel all alone, but you are not! And because of His love for you, your victory is guaranteed: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 NIV)

You don’t have an address?

No worries. Your Heavenly Daddy knows exactly where you live!

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “Jesus’ Deepest Desires” devotional series, please click here.)