1 minute read
WHEN REJECTION COMES
BY PASTOR DJ OQUIST
SO JEPHTHAH WENT WITH THE ELDERS OF GILEAD, AND THE PEOPLE MADE HIM HEAD AND COMMANDER OVER THEM.
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JUDGES 11:11 (NIV)
Have you ever been left out or picked last? In elementary school, whether it was at recess or PE, the last thing you wanted was to be picked last. It was almost as if everyone was holding their breath to see who would be picked last. It wasn’t that the person even cared about the game being played; it was just the look they would receive from being THAT person.
In Judges 11, Jephthah didn’t just get picked last; he wasn’t picked at all. Because his mother was a prostitute, he was rejected by his family and considered illegitimate. This was unfortunate because he wasn’t rejected for anything he had done. Yet, despite being driven from home by his half-brothers, Jephthah persevered in his calling as “a mighty warrior.”
Maybe you have felt this same way in a particular season of your life. You try to do everything you can, but your family’s judgments, past choices, economic status, or anything else can be holding you back. This can cause us to lose hope and walk in discouragement. Rejection can be crippling because it makes us feel so terrible. It may even seem more powerful than God’s unconditional acceptance of us.
God never promises us a smooth ride, but He does promise that He is always with us in whatever harsh or sorrowful situations we face. We can count on the fact that He does not judge us wrongly or unfairly and that He has taken the pain of our rejection onto Himself as we hide in Him. Consider this:
“[B]ut they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31 ESV).
Let’s be encouraged. Jephthah still worked hard as a warrior, even while cast aside, and when his family needed him, he came back to lead the Israelite army to victory. Your work may go unnoticed by man, but it will never go unnoticed by God. Our job is to trust Him, even in the waiting season.
Moving Forward
Instead of focusing on rejection, reflect on God’s promises and what He says about you. What beauty could He bring out of the ashes of rejection in your life? Just ask Him!
