11/19/2021 – Rejection
There was a young teenage boy, thirteen or so, who fell in love with a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl. You must remember that when you’re a teenager, a three-year age gap, is a huge world of difference. The difference is as huge as the Grand Canyon. The teenage boy would look for any excuse to be around that beautiful girl, sharing a silly joke in hopes she would laugh, he would let her borrow his records (back then music was enjoyed via records). As time progressed the boy did muster up courage on more than one occasion to invite her for coffee, pizza, ice cream, anything that could be consider a date. And for every one of those invitations, he was met with a big fat NO! Each time it was a crushing rejection.
The dictionary defines rejection as:
“the act of refusing to accept, use, or believe someone or something”
Mark 12:10
“Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone;”
As I was putting these few words together, I read about 11+ different New Testament verses specifically dealing with the rejection of Jesus. Jesus faced all types of rejections, rejection from his own neighbors, rejection from the religious leaders, rejection from his own followers, and worse of all when the Father looked away as our sins fell upon him, Jesus is one who fully understands what rejection is. Perhaps you’re nursing the pain of rejection, you feel that no one understands, that you are all alone. Be encouraged and strengthen because Jesus understands your pain of rejection.
Meditate on these verses today:
Psalm 34:17-20
17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
PS – That young teenage boy I told you about earlier, fast forward a few years later into his twenties, he ended up marrying that beautiful girl he fell in love with as a teenager. And after 33 years of marriage, my wife and I are living our best lives, growing old together happily ever after, Amen.