973 words, 5 minutes read time.
Introduction:
Have you ever felt like faith isn’t for people like you? Like God must surely be looking for someone more perfect, more put together, more acceptable? Pride Month can stir up a lot of feelings for LGBTQ+ Christians — from celebration to pain. Many have been told that God is far away from them, or worse, that they must change who they are before they’re even welcome in His presence. But the truth of Scripture tells a different story — a story of a God who always meets people exactly where they are. Whether you’re in a desert, at a well, up a tree, or in the middle of an identity that others don’t understand — He comes to you. He sees you. And He loves you enough not just to meet you, but to transform your heart with His love.
Scripture:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
— Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)
Reflection/Teaching:
In Acts 8, we meet someone society wouldn’t expect to be central to a divine encounter: a Black, foreign, likely queer-coded Ethiopian eunuch. According to Jewish law (Deuteronomy 23:1), he would have been excluded from the temple, despite making a long journey to worship in Jerusalem. Yet he’s reading the prophet Isaiah in his chariot — hungry for God, even if unsure of his place in the story. That’s when God sends Philip, a follower of Jesus, directly into the eunuch’s path.
Philip doesn’t correct him or question his identity. Instead, he asks a question: “Do you understand what you are reading?” The eunuch answers honestly: “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” What happens next is profound: Philip climbs into the chariot and explains the Scripture, pointing him to Jesus — a Savior who understands rejection, who suffered unjustly, and who brings people into a new kind of family. When they come upon water, the eunuch asks, “What can stand in the way of me being baptized?” The answer is nothing. He is baptized immediately, and the Bible says he went on his way rejoicing.
This story, tucked into the early chapters of the Church’s history, is a radiant declaration that the Kingdom of God makes room for the excluded — and not just room, but celebration. God met the eunuch in his search, in his difference, and in his questions — and gave him the joy of full belonging.
Jesus did this again and again. He met the woman at the well in John 4, a woman excluded by society and religion, and instead of condemning her, He revealed who He truly was — maybe for the very first time. He met Zacchaeus, a corrupt tax collector hiding in a tree, and invited Himself to his home before Zacchaeus had done a single thing to change. And in Matthew 19:12, Jesus even acknowledges eunuchs — people who didn’t fit into typical gender or sexual norms — and affirms that some were born that way, some made that way, and some chose it for the Kingdom of Heaven. It wasn’t rejection. It was recognition.
These stories all echo the same divine heartbeat we hear in Ezekiel 36:26. When God meets us, He doesn’t meet us to erase us — He meets us to transform our hearts. The heart of stone — hardened by rejection, shame, or self-protection — is replaced with a heart of flesh, capable of receiving love and giving it back.
Application:
If you’ve been told your identity disqualifies you from God’s love, hear this clearly: God meets you where you are. You don’t have to hide. You don’t have to fix yourself first. What He asks is your openness — your willingness to say, like the eunuch, “I want to understand,” or like the woman at the well, “I want living water.” When God meets you, He brings more than just comfort — He brings transformation. Not to take away who you are, but to restore who you were created to be: fully alive, fully loved, and fully known.
So ask yourself today: Am I willing to let God meet me here? Am I open to the work of love that softens what shame has hardened? God doesn’t need you to be more religious — He just wants you to be real.
Prayer:
God of welcome and wonder, thank You for meeting me in my realness — in my doubts, my questions, my identity, and my desire to be loved. Thank You that I don’t have to be perfect for You to draw near. Soften my heart, God. Where there has been hardness from pain, replace it with a heart that can feel again, hope again, believe again. Teach me to trust that Your love is not a trap, but a promise. Walk with me as I grow in grace and in truth. I belong to You. Amen.
Closing Thoughts:
This Pride Month, let this be your reminder: God is not waiting at a distance. He’s already walking your way. Whether you’re in the chariot or on the roadside, in a church pew or walking away from one — He’s already beside you. And He’s ready to give you a new heart — not to erase you, but to revive you. You are loved. You are seen. You are not too far gone.
Want more devotionals like this in your inbox?
Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly encouragement rooted in Scripture and love — especially for those who’ve ever been told they don’t belong. Because you do.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. The information provided is based on personal research, experience, and understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing. Readers should consult relevant experts or authorities for specific guidance related to their unique situations.
… liked this!