For more than five years, Jake, the church praise band guitarist, sacrificed personal time for rehearsals and multiple services each week. During the church’s yearlong search for a new pastor and worship leader, Jake was the visible face of stability — like glue holding together a fraying rope.
But soon after the arrival of incoming leadership, he was told the new worship leader also played guitar and Jake was one too many. Wounded from rejection, Jake quietly disappeared.
Ouch.
Rejection hurts. It happens frequently these days based on politics, party lines, viewpoints, perceived rights and even casual opinions. And sadly, it sometimes happens within the body of believers.
The Bible has a lot to say about rejection. One meaningful story is found in Numbers, chapters 13 and 14. Caleb and Joshua, the only two of the 12 spies sent to case out Canaan who didn’t dis the power of God and cave into fear of taking the land they’d been divinely promised, were soundly rejected by their own people.
They were publicly ridiculed and condemned because they didn’t fall in line with the reigning party line.
They didn’t conform to popular opinion. They chose to listen to the Almighty instead of the mighty all, who were so infuriated by Caleb and Joshua daring to disagree with the tide of popular opinion that they grabbed stones to pelt the two to death.
Jehovah personally stepped in to rebuke their rejecters, and then He rejected them from the Promised Land. Caleb and Joshua were rewarded with long life and entry into Canaan.
What’s the takeaway here? God wants us to place our trust in His Word and believe that if we stand for what’s right, even in today’s climate of malicious cancel culture, we may be rejected temporarily here on Earth, but in the scope of eternity we’ll be lavishly rewarded by God Almighty, the only judge who really counts.
“We have no reason to be afraid … The Lord is on our side,” (Numbers 14:9 CEV).
Prayer: Lord of Justice, help me be strong enough to do what’s right and trust in You and the truth of your word. Even in the face of public rejection and humiliation. Amen.
