Word Study For Today: The Book Of Obadiah Chapter 1.
Devotion: HANDLING REJECTION/OPPOSITION.
Texts: John 15:18-25; 16:1-4a. | 1 Samuel 8:1-8. | Numbers 14:1-4 &11a.
Rejection, opposition, insults, mockeries, are just a recurring occurrence of life, that need not stagger you when they set in against you.
Our forerunners in this earthly race had prepared our minds as to what to expect, having gone through the same route themselves.
>1 Peter 4:12-14 (NLT)==>12)”Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13)Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. 14)If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.”
>1 Corinthians 10:13a (MSG)==>”No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face…”
Solomon had rightly said in >Ecclesiastes 1:9b(ASV)==> “there is no new thing under the sun.”
Sincerely, there’s nothing new under the sun. God Almighty, the controller of all creation was rejected; why then should rejection/insults/oppositions/mockeries, now be a shocker to you?
>Numbers 14:3-4, 11(NIV)==>3)“Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4)And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” 11)The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?”
Despite all the Lord had done for the children of Israel, how He had loved them dearly, making a way of escape for them from their place of pain and anguish… yet, they refused Him, they rejected Him, they murmured against Him, they grumbled, they blacklisted Him, they wanted to separate themselves from Him by returning back to Egypt.
It’s a norm in this world to face rejection. Hello! Jesus Christ faced rejection!
Come to think of it, if Jesus Christ our perfect example could face rejection, then we should dig our heels in, and not allow someone’s act of rejection bring us down, or truncate our destiny/destination.
To refuse someone is an act of rejection. Rejection is an exclusion. No one takes delight in rejection. It’s an act that seemingly blows ‘hot air in one’s face’. It’s like a rebuff.
Jesus said in >John 15:18, 20(NIV)==>18)“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 20)Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”
So take it not so personal, let no one’s rejection or rebuff of you, hit you hard. Jesus had prepared your mind for this.
It’s interesting to note that people will reject you once they can’t decode, control or manipulate you. Only be sure you stand for Christ. Ensure that the grounds of rejection boils down to you being in the center of God’s will and nothing else.
>1 Peter 4:14-15 (NLT)==>14)“If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. 15)If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.”
Do not give in to flesh, it will always want it’s own way. If not, how do you explain Israel rejecting God being in charge of their day to day life? Obnoxious, isn’t it?! Grossly unthinkable!
Why would anyone want a leader different from God. >1 Samuel 8:5-7NIV)==>5b)“…now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” 6)But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7)And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”
Consider these unstable Israelites, after rejecting God by asking for a king amongst themselves, the king yet again was rejected by them (the Israelites). Rejection is bound to happen beloved, take no thought. >1 Samuel 10:1, 27(AMP)==>1)“Then Samuel took the flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has the LORD not anointed you as ruler over His inheritance (Israel)? 27) But some worthless men said, “How can this man save and rescue us?” And they regarded Saul with contempt and did not bring him a gift. But he ignored the insult and kept silent.”
Oh wow! What can ever please the world? Beware of people with low self esteem, manipulators, wicked persons, selfish people, lovers of self/flesh. Treat them as Saul did; he ignored their insult/rejection/rebuff, and he kept his cool by maintaining silence. You need not fight for yourself. Do not engage in revenge or retaliation.
Vengeance belongs to God >Romans 12:19 (NIV)==>“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”
>Deuteronomy 7:10 (NLT)==>But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him.”
In handling rejection/contempt/mockery/opposition/rebuff and its likes, consider yourself BLESSED! You are the light of the world, the salt of the earth; you are the NEXT BIG THING, GOD’S BIG DEAL, going somewhere great, to happen!
Come on now, magnify your vision, discover your identity in Christ, and establish a new status for yourself (begin to do things in a new way, let go of your past mistakes and embrace your glorious future!).
Give no attention to revilers/mockers.
>Luke 6:22-23(AMP)==>22)“Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people hate you, and exclude you [from their fellowship], and insult you, and scorn your name as evil because of [your association with] the Son of Man. 23)Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for their fathers used to treat the prophets in the same way.”
Remember >…“ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;”[Mark 12:10 NIV].
Rejoice!
Prayer Action:
-Sing the praise of our God and King.
-Pray in the spirit for 15 minutes.
-Pray intently for grace to handle every form of rejection [that is facing or will ever face you in life]
-Ask the Lord to help you to work on yourself, that your results might astound mockers and revilers [causing scripture to become real in your life “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”].
