2 Corinthians 4 : 8 - 9, We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed... NKJV
Have you ever been rejected by someone you loved? Rejection is like a hot fire. It can bring out the best and the worst in all of us. Rejection in this life is pretty much enviable. Nevertheless, it's how we choose to respond to it and to the person by whom the offense has come that will determine whether we will allow it to control us, or whether we will rise above it.
Before I go on any further, let me remind you that rejection wasn't in God's plan. Satan was the originator of this horror from hell. Satan talked Adam and Eve into sinning by rejecting God's plan for their lives. Afterwards, because of their sin, God had to reject them. Even so, we know that God still loved man because He killed an animal (Redemption) to cover the shame of their nakedness. Love covers sin. Consequently, we know that God didn't reject mankind; however, He had to reject the sin that was in them. Didn't God warn Adam in Genesis 2 that if he ate from the tree of knowledge, he would die? Yes. Therefore, it was sin that brought separation between man and God (Life). Now, we can go a little deeper in our study.
Rejection is a trap that Satan will use to try to pull people into his web of deceit. His next step is to exploit the hurt that has been caused. If a person decides to become a victim of rejection, and they open their heart up to Satan's lie, then he will have a hook in their heart and will pull them down to the bottom of the pit. Rejection, like temptation, is just another ploy the enemy will use to take us on a treacherous path to destruction and death.
There is only one way for us to overcome the schemes or tricks of Satan. We must fully engage and utilize our faith to continue to believe in God's goodness. Here is where your will comes into play. You will have to fight with everything in you, so that you do not give into the pain of rejection, and, as a result, give yourself over to the enemy because of the hurt you are experiencing. There is something alluring about listening to Satan's subtle lies and acting on our impulses because of an emotion that demands revenge. You may get a very temporary release when you act out of your hurt and strike back in unbelief, but it will be short-lived and will throw your soul into bondage.
However, faith offers us another way; this way leads to life. Nevertheless, we must be willing to choose that path over self-gratification. If you honor God's Word in your heart, instead of giving into your human emotions, God will give you grace that brings comfort, peace, and restoration to your broken heart. Further, because you chose to take the difficult path of faith, God will reward you afterwards with a promotion over your enemies.
Let me leave you today with a powerful story of someone who suffered great rejection, but overcame it. Consequently, God raised him up to be a leader over Israel. In Psalms 51, David tells us that his mother conceived him in sin. Scholars who studied this say that his mom conceived him out of wedlock. In other words, she had an affair; therefore, she broke her covenant vow with Jessie. Whenever God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint the new king for Israel, he entered the house of Jessie. It was there that Samuel met all the sons of Jessie. Or did he? Where was David and why wasn't he invited to the inauguration? After Samuel looked Jessie's boys over, God told him that none of them was going to be the next king. Samuel asked Jessie if he had another son, and reluctantly, he told him about David.
There was another time when David was treated with great disdain; this confirms he was an outcast and had been rejected by his brothers: When Jessie sent David out to the battlefield to take his brothers lunch, David was met with jealousy and contempt. Nevertheless, David just let it roll off his shoulders and focused his attention on Goliath. David always responded to rejection and hatred from his kinfolks with a tender heart for God. He didn't blame God for the actions of others. In fact, their actions seemed to drive David to seek God's heart even more. Here is a passage that will further prove what I've been sharing with you today:
Psalms 27: 4 - 12, One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face, "My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me. Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. NKJV
In the verses above, we can see that David was forsaken by his father and mother. Even so, he chose to turn to the Lord, who had His arms out-stretched and waiting with great love. David allowed the love of God to embrace and fill his heart. Do you need to allow the love of God to wash over your heart and soul today? God has His arms open and waiting for you to jump into His love.
Only God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
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