Rejection: September 29,2010

Today's Word for Wednesday September 29, 2010

REJECTION

DEFINITION

To refuse to accept or admit; to cast out; to discard as unsatisfactory or useless; something or someone not wanted.

SCRIPTURE
"He came unto His own and His own did not receive Him." John 1:11

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Psalm 22:1 and Mark 15:34

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

It is one thing to be rejected by friends and associates, but quite different to be rejected by family. Any type of rejection hurts no matter where it comes from. Unfortunately some rejection is brought on by one's own actions. For others it may be because of their beliefs or just because of jealousy. When a family rejects one of their own it is usually based on a major conflict between right and wrong. The reason rejection is so painful is that it results in separation and abandonment. Children who are abandoned feel the pain of rejection for a lifetime.

While Jesus lived here on this earth He experienced rejection as well as all the other types of suffering we encounter in this world. Jesus truly knew the meaning of rejection. First, even His own people, the scripture says, rejected Him. Secondly it was the rejection and abandonment of His Father that He knew He must experience when He took our sins upon Himself that brought Him to His knees in the garden of Gethsemane beseeching His Father to take that cup from Him.

We cannot begin to imagine the agony of the physical pain that Jesus endured as He hung on the cross. There is no more painful death than death by crucifixion. As horrible as the pain was, it was the rejection and abandonment of His Father that caused Jesus to cry out in agony, "My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?" It is because Jesus went through that suffering of rejection by His Father that we do not have to endure the rejection of our heavenly Father for our sins.

"Why does nobody care?" was the question that rings so clear in my mind from a young girl living in a home that our organization sponsored for children with cancer in Honduras. Our interpreter told us what the girl was saying but we really did not need an interpreter because it shown so clearly on her face -- desperation and rejection.

There was no medicine or equipment in the whole country to help cancer victims. This young girl and her mother sitting by her side, felt so rejected and so alone. They did not think anyone cared even though we were trying to assure them that help was on the way but would it arrive on time to save her life? We did not really know.

But our organization did respond and soon there was medicine and even state of the art equipment to help assist children put their cancer into remission, the first such equipment in the whole country of Honduras. Unfortunately the equipment and medicine did not arrive in time to save this young girls life, but thousands of children since have been helped because this one girl moved us to action. Her feeling of rejection and abandonment was used by God to enable many other children in her country get the help they need even today.

All of us have days and times that we feel rejected. It may be because of a spouse, a parent, a child or a friend. When these moments of rejection come our way we must look to the Lord for special strength that only He can give. When we are feeling down cast, the only way to look is up. God understands how you feel because He knew rejection. We must learn to be positive in those moments of feeling unwanted. You must remember that at the lowest times of your life when you feel "REJECTION," that God loves you. When we come to Him with repentant hearts and in faith, believing in Him, He will never reject us.

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 3:14

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

PRAYER

Dear Lord, help me today to understand the rejection You felt when Your own rejected You and the rejection You felt on that cross paying the debt for my sins. Help me to look beyond the low moments I may face today to the glory that shall be mine when I am with You in heaven and receive my crown of life. Bless my family today and make them a blessing to those they meet who need an encouraging word. And Lord give me a new excitement and desire to serve You.