TAKE ANOTHER LOOK // JANUARY 20, 2023
As you come to him, the living Stone -- rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him ...
1 Peter 2:4
Rejection is part of the human condition. Jesus was rejected by those in his hometown, by his own brothers, the Romans, the Jews, those who shouted, "crucify him!" and by those closest to him -- the very disciples he did life with. And when he hung from the cross, his heavenly father turned his face away. Yes, Jesus understands deeply the pain of rejection while being God's chosen.
Perhaps we need to perceive another possibility about the rejection in our lives. Could our rejection actually be part of God's plan? Or if not his plan, he can certainly still work it together for our good. If we take another look, that rejection may have been God's protection. Maybe it was good ... but not good enough for what he had in store. Maybe God used rejection to redirect our lives. He loves us enough to allow our dream to be crushed so he can open our eyes to something better. Sometimes God will break our hearts, so he can blow our minds.
Have you grown bitter and asked the wrong question, “Why??” Should you be asking, “What’s next?” This closed door is not the only door. God always has another possibility. He can make something out of nothing. Submit your plans to him today; ask God to teach you to trust in the confusion, in the strange cancellations and even in the closed doors. Remember, humans make, God creates!