Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Rejected And Forsaken


Rejected and Forsaken

We have examples in the scripture where people feel, and truly are, rejected or persecuted, yet can find comfort in their relationship with the Lord God, even though their world is caving in.

1. Psalm 27:10
When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.

Father and mother are the last ones on earth that would ever forsake a person, in a normal functional family.  This is an extreme case of rejection.

2. Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;

This describes total disaster - nothing left at all.  Yet will I rejoice in the Lord.

3. Acts 16:16-28
Paul and Silas were falsely accused of making trouble in Philippi.  They were then beaten, resulting in bloody stripes and locked up in an inner prison (which we would call a dungeon).
So we have here two who were severely abused both in the court of public opinion and bodily.

However, the story goes on:
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

We have here an illustration of two men that knew and demonstrated that they still had access to the throne of grace, to the presence of the LORD God, no matter what the circumstance was.

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So no matter what the circumstances, whether they be relational distress or loss, bodily harm, or even total disaster, we still have our connection to Father God.  We can still enter into His presence, into the Holy of Holies, and rejoice in Father's love, grace, and mercy for us.

We are blessed beyond measure.

But on the cross, Jesus could not do this.  As it says in Psalm 22:1
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  See also Matthew 27:46.  Jesus, on the cross, was cursed beyond measure.  And He did this willingly!  What love He had, and has, for us.  Amazing!

We are blessed beyond measure.  There is no place for us here to feel sorry for ourselves and enter into self pity.

Larry Carroll

All scripture referenced is NKJV.