Rejection

The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.

Psalm 118:22

Miriam’s heart sank as she stood by her locker reading a letter her school counselor had just handed her. She’d been rejected by the university she wanted to attend. Across the hall, Martin was experiencing the same feeling, having been cut from the high school basketball team. His buddy, Thomas, had stayed home from school that day, literally sick because his girlfriend had broken up with him.

Rejection is one of the hardest burdens we’re ever called on to bear. It undercuts our self-confidence and damages our sense of well-being. But it helps to remember that our Lord Himself understands the pain of rejection. Isaiah 53:3 says, “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him.” Jesus said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected” (Luke 9:22).

Because He was rejected, we can be accepted. Ephesians 1:6 says that it is God’s grace “by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

If you’re facing the pain of rejection today, remember that Jesus Himself understands, He cares, and He is waiting to embrace your hurts and encourage your heart.