Category Archives: Christian Life

MOLLY AND ME – WALKING OR BALKING?

Christian Life, ,

Walkies” can sometimes be a test of willpower between Molly and me. When we started our daily walking routine, Molly hated the harness. I tried one that went over her torso. It didn’t work because she easily pulled out of it.

Problem!

Next, we tried the neck/body harness. It worked better except for the time when she got out of it while we were walking on the pavement down the main road! Freedom!!! Off she went in a flurry of excitement. She was free to run…anywhere! And ran she did, across the street and back, several times, especially when she wanted to face, at close quarters but on the other side of the gate, of course, that BIG dog that irritated her the most!

Fortunately, we were close to the side street that took us back home. I nonchalantly walked down the road and, true to habit, she followed me until we reached our own gate.

The next time she escaped her harness, now a few yours older, she stood dead still, looked up at me and asked, with her eyes, “Now what must I do?” I quickly secured her in her harness, grateful that she had come of age!

These days, my mature older dog has another way of enforcing her reluctance to walk…she puts on brakes on all four legs, as efficiently as the ABS braking system in my car! I know that part of her problem is the lesion in her spine that sometimes makes walking painful. However, it’s that look of defiance when she puts on brakes that makes me think it’s also a power struggle.

So, I ask her, “Molly, are you walking or balking?”

How like us when we don’t want to do God’s will! We put on our inner brakes with that attitude of defiance that says, “No, I don’t want to do it!”

I find this attitude rising up in me when I need to put right something I have done wrong. My pride, my ego, my perceived reputation is at stake. I must defend myself at all costs!

What about those times when the Lord requires me to do something that will cost me? Someone needs help. My involvement may cost me time, effort, money or whatever the Lord asks of me. My first response may be…brakes on all four paws! It may take a little time for me to release the brakes and do as I am told!

It’s a long, hard lesson for me to learn to walk with God, not to balk at God. Sometimes my old, emotional pain gets in the way of my willingness to obey. I take time to deal with the “what ifs” of reluctance or fear, my “no” of unbelief, my hesitance to cast myself on the Lord and step into the unknown.

God’s ministry in our hearts is, probably, 90% focused on teaching us faith, trust, reliance on Him because He is faithful, what He says is true, and what He wants of us is obedience without fear. He is always working, in all things, for our good and His glory.

Although Molly can’t understand that walking is for our good, I CAN understand that my Father is always working what is good for me. Why, then, am I balking instead of walking with the Lord? It’s that old nature again, the self-will with which I was born. It takes a lifetime of learning to accept the “leash” of obedience and walk where the Master leads me.

MOLLY AND ME – THAT LOOK

Christian Life, ,

Molly and me again! We are still together in our ninth year. The bond between us is still there and becoming more refined as we get older.

Let me explain.

Since Molly can only speak “dog”, many of her actions as a younger dog would get me to do for her what she wanted, for example… when she wanted me to pick her up and put her on my lap, she would jump in front of me until she got my attention. I knew her bark when she called me from outside or when she wanted to know where I was. She had a special tone of voice when she scolded me for something that displeased her! Molly’s body language and barks were her way of communicating with me. By trial and error, I began to understand what she was saying.

However, her way of communicating is changing as she gets older. She is less vocal and less physically demonstrative. She knows I understand her better, so she speaks in more subtle ways.

When she is fed up with me, she turns her back on me, lies on her bed facing the other way. Actions speak louder than words!

When she is frustrated, she rolls her blanket around with her nose and eventually dumps it on the floor beside her bed. The attitude is very evident!

When she wants me to pick her up and put her on my lap, she stares at me with a special look in her eyes and an unspoken plea, “Pick me up, please…” She relaxes and willingly allows me to lift her into my arms.

If she doesn’t want me to put her on my lap, she either stiffens and makes herself heavy or gets up and retires to her bed in the bedroom. Sometimes she just lies on my lap and gazes at me. I wonder what she sees!

Molly doesn’t only look at me; she looks to me. When I promise her a treat, she follows the treat container to the kitchen where I open it and drop her treats onto her bed. She knows she gets treats when I leave her for a few hours. She looks for the treats in her bed, quite content that I will come home.

When I look at Molly, I see, not just a small, dapple-coated dachshund. I see Molly, my beloved, four-legged little teacher and companion. I see a little dog who has been at my side and in my heart for more than eight years. I see a small, fragile, dependent animal who can’t live without me. She is always my “baby girl”.

That look, that gesture, that attitude speaks more effectively than a thousand words! They speak of trust, dependence, security. We can breach the gap between dog and human just by looking at one another.

Isn’t that just like the way we communicate with God our Father?
Human language doesn’t always cut it. Sure, we can speak to God, and we do, but there are more ways of communicating with Him and He with us than language because God doesn’t need words.

Matthew 6:7-8 NLT
[7] “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. [8] Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”

How can we talk to the Father without words?

First, our look, like Molly’s, speaks loudly of trust.

We look to the Lord for mercy and He responds with His peace.

Psalms 123:1-2 NIV
[1]”I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. [2] As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.”

We look to the Lord for protection and our trust is rewarded.

Psalms 28:7 NIV
[7]”The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”

We look to the Lord for strength and He supports us.

Psalms 105:4 NIV
[4] “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.#

As we seek the Lord and look to Him for all our needs, He is constantly watching over us.

Psalms 121:5-8 NIV
[5]”The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; [6] the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. [7] The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; [8] the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

However, not only do we look to the Lord; we also look at Him. Jesus is our mentor, model, and example.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV
[1] “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, [2] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

When we gaze at His beauty in the Word, we are slowly being transformed into His likeness.

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV
[18]”And we all, who with unveiled faces, contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

How wonderful are the lessons we learn about the goodness and mercy of our God as we reflect on our relationship even with a small creature like a dog.

GOD’S WORD – ITS UNIQUENESS

Christian Life, ,

Today, I begin a series of meditations on the Word of God. I have no idea where this will lead but I pray that the Word itself will convince us of its incalculable worth in our lives as children of God. We live by His Word and die without it.

Our first obligation is to decide to believe what the Bible says about itself. We will never be convinced of its value for us unless we take at face value the Bible’s own witness. If we haven’t made that decision, the rest of this series is only of acedemic interest.

The Bible makes many claims to be unique, one of a kind, not in so many words but by what it is and does that no other book can do. Let’s examine some of its unique features, and for these features I am indebted to Google research, mostly from https://gotquestions.com

1. Unique in its popularity
The Bible is the bestselling book of all time. It has been translated into more languages and distributed more widely than any other book in history.

“The Guinness Book of World Records estimates that the Bible has been printed over 5 billion times.” (www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction, accessed 8/11/21).

2. Unique in its authorship
No other book can claim and demonstrate divine authorship.

2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT
[20] “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, [21] or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”

2 Timothy 3:16 NLT
[16]”All Scripture is inspired by God…”

Many other religious books claim divine revelation of one kind or another but cannot produce evidence of their truth. The Bible alone makes claims for itself which are backed up evidence, among which are archeological, historical, scientific and experiential proofs of its authenticity.

The Bible is a divine/human book.

“Although the Holy Spirit is ultimately the author of Scripture (2 Peter 1:21), He used many human authors to compile the 66 books of the Bible. Around forty different human writers in the span of about 1,500 years were involved in the collection of Scripture. These writers came from different time periods, backgrounds, occupations, and geographical locations. The writers include kings, prophets, fishermen, shepherds, servants, priests, and a physician.” (Quoted from” gotquestions”)

The Bible is a library of books, some short, some long, but bound together by supernatural inspiration and the common consent of spiritual leaders. Individual writings were gathered according to an agreed standard, into what is known as the canon of Scripture.

No other book has offended, been attacked and destroyed, been lost and found, been banned and outlawed, and yet been divinely protected than the Bible. Men suffered and died to translate, preserve and distribute this book. People either fear or revere the Bible.

3. Unique in its unity
Despite the span of time and the multiplicity of its writers, the Bible presents one theme, one God, and one human race.

“The different authors and writing styles make the Bible unique from other religious books, and it’s stunning to realize that the entire canon of Scripture shares a common theme—God’s salvation of mankind—and points to a central character—Jesus Christ.” (gotquestions)

Not only is the Bible unique in its unity but also in its presentation of God and man. Across the 66 books and multiplicity of writers, writing styles, genres, and languages, there is never a conflict between the writers’ presentation of God and mankind. The God of Genesis is the same God of Revelation and everything in between.

4. Unique in its content
No other book presents material so sublime with such authority and confidence, than can transform the lives of those who believe, than the Bible. From where come the mighty truths of Scripture but from the heart of God?

“Unlike other religious texts advocating good works to please an unreachable god, the Bible uniquely teaches that salvation is a gift from God that does not require human works (Ephesians 2:8–9). Whereas other religious books present a set of rules and regulations to follow, the Bible presents freedom in Christ (John 8:36). The Bible reveals that Jesus is God (John 1:1) and that He saves us through His death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). No other sacred book claims that a religious leader rose from the dead (Matthew 28:5–7; Luke 24:5–6; John 20:20; 1 Corinthians 15:4–8). The God of Scripture is not a far-off, uncaring god but the Creator of all things who is intimately involved in the lives of His creation (Psalm 139:7–12; Acts 17:25–27). No other religious text gives the assurance of eternal life (John 3:16). No other religion’s book is without error or flaw, but the Bible is inerrant and infallible (see 2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). (Quoted from “gotquestions”)

5. Unique in its prophetic content
“The Bible is also unique from other religious books in that it contains prophecy. In fact, by one count, about 27 percent of the Bible is predictive (Payne, J. B., The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, Baker Pub. Group, 1980, p. 675). This means that, when written, over one fourth of the Bible—more than one in four verses—was prophetic.” (quoted from “gotquestions”).

The Bible has detailed prophecies, from cover to cover, that have already been fulfilled or are yet to be fulfilled in the promise of Jesus’s second coming.

Isaiah 41:21-22 NLT
[21] “Present the case for your idols,” says the Lord. “Let them show what they can do,” says the King of Israel. [22] “Let them try to tell us what happened long ago so that we may consider the evidence. Or let them tell us what the future holds, so we can know what’s going to happen.”

Isaiah 42:8-9 NLT
[8] “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. [9] Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.”

6. Unique in its languages
“Most books are written in one language. For instance, the Quran of Islam was written completely in Arabic, Hinduism’s Vedas were composed entirely in Sanskrit, and the Book of Mormon was written entirely in English. In contrast, the Bible’s authors used three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.” (quoted from “gotquestions”).

7. Unique in its sources
The writers show little evidence of borrowing from outside sources. Some quoted from historical records, some quoted from one another, for example, Paul quoted from David’s psalms but, in the main, prophets wrote from prophetic visions and and New Testament writers from eyewitness accounts…

1 John 1:1 NLT
[1] “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.”

… interpretation of Old Testament revelation

Acts of the Apostles 2:14-21 NLT
[14]”Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. [15] These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. [16] No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: [17] ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. [18] In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy. [19] And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below— blood and fire and clouds of smoke. [20] The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. [21] But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

….and personal experience.

Philippians 4:12-13 NLT
[12] “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. [13] For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

…and, finally,

8. Unique in its manuscript evidence
“The manuscript evidence for the New Testament is overwhelming. There are at least 5,300 Greek, 10,000 Latin, and 9,000 miscellaneous copies of the New Testament extant today.” (quoted from “gotquestions”)

Despite the overwhelming evidence for the uniqueness of the Bible, whether to believe or not to believe the evidence is a personal choice. As with all our interactions with the unseen God in the supernatural realm, faith is the only vehicle by which we can accept and receive the blessings and benefits of the salvation the Bible presents.

We alone can make the choice and experience the consequences of that choice.

To be continued…

COMPASSION JESUS’ WAY – 4

Christian Life, ,

Mark 6:34 NLT
[34] “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”

How do these thoughts on compassion Jesus’ way impact those of us who function as shepherds of God’s flock? Many of us, though not pastors or leaders in the local church, have a shepherding role in the lives of others…parents of children, teachers in schools…bosses in businesses, and so on.

We need to think beyond just telling them what to do. As children of God, we are all called to follow Jesus, to imitate Him, and to be an example to others.

We are examples of Jesus to others in one of two ways, bad or good.

God had this to say about some shepherds who used their shepherding function to their own advantage…

Ezekiel 34:2-4 NLT
[2] “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? [3] You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. [4] You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty.”

Jesys called these shepherds “hirelings”.

John 10:12-13 NLT
[12] “A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. [13] The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.”

There are many “hired hands” masquerading as shepherds in churches all over the world today, growing fat on the wealth they extract from the sheep, and feeding them on lies and deception. They are the ones who “steal, kill, and destroy”.

Ezekiel 34:5-6 NLT
[5] “So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. [6] They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them.”

There are serious consequences for these hireling shepherds.

Ezekiel 34:10 NLT
[10]” This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey.”

How many of these false shepherds are being exposed for what they are…big names in the Christian world but falling like bowling pins when God shows them up for what they are.

So, God sent His own Good Shepherd to find and care for His sheep.

John 10:14-15, 27-30 NLT
[14] “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, [15] just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep….
[27] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, [29] for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. [30] The Father and I are one.”

Every human on earth is essentially a “sheep”. Throughout Scripture, people are likened to sheep. Like sheep, we are made to follow. We either stubbornly go our own way blindly following one another, or we mindlessly follow false shepherds who lead us astray. We are rebellious at heart. We have no inclination to seek after and follow the true shepherd unless, by God’s grace, our bent to go astray is changed.

Isaiah 53:6 NLT
[6] “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.”

God Himself took the role of the true shepherd by coming to earth to rescue His sheep. He died to pay for their sin. He lives to care for, protect, and provide for His sheep, calling and leading them to the best pastures and the purest water.

Ezekiel 34:11-16 NLT
[11] “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. [12] I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. [13] I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. [14] Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. [15] I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. [16] I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes—feed them justice!”

Just as God, historically, gave Israel a safe homeland, restoring the land of Israel to them and calling them home to their own pastures and quiet waters, so He calls all who belong to Jesus by faith into the safety of His kingdom and under His care.

Now, since Jesus is no longer with us as a human, He has entrusted to us, His under-shepherds, the role and task of caring for His sheep. He restored Peter to his shepherding role after Peter’s denial and betrayal of his trust in Him.

John 21:15-17 NLT
[15]”After breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. [16] Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. [17] A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”

Jesus called Peter to be a shepherd in His church, a role which Peter passed on to his fellow shepherds, giving them the rule of thumb to guide them in their function and attitude towards the sheep.

1 Peter 5:2-4 NLT
[2]”Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. [3] Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. [4] And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.”

The sheep belong to Jesus, not to the under-shepherds who are accountable to Him. He appoints those whom He can trust to care for His sheep. He gives them authority to pass on His teachings, unchanged and intact, so that the sheep are fed the truth that will set and keep them free from those who would feed them unauthorised “junk food”.

Love for Jesus, our true response to His love for us, will keep us from becoming the mercenary hirelings who use the sheep to satisfy their own fleshly greed. If Jesus’ compassion for the sheep led Him to teach them “many things”, so with His appointed shepherds now, wherever we have sheep under our care, it’s up to us to be faithful to our calling. Teaching them the life and words of Jesus, the Bread of life, will heal their wounds, nourish their souls, and protect them from the toxic influence of the hirelings who have prostitued a sacred trust for their own gain.

COMPASSION JESUS’S WAY – 3

Christian Life, ,

Pulling the thorn of rejection.

Mark 6:34 NLT
[34] “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”

To feed and care for the sheep, Jesus taught them many things. He knew that knowledge and understanding leading to appropriate action are the best way to overcome the wounds others inflict on His sheep by what they say and do.

Hebrews 12:14-15 NLT
[14] “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. [15] Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”

Today, we’ll examine another issue that harms and disturbs the peace we crave in our hearts and in our relationships with one another… one person’s habit of controlling another.

Why are some people “control freaks”?

We encounter, or even live with someone who constantly dominates, interrupts, and takes over our conversation, telling us what to do, or even criticising, condemning, or controlling our every move. Some wives, for example, are prisoners of their husband’s controlling behaviour, and children are harmed by a father who blocks and interferes with all their movements, creating resentment and fear.

What triggers this kind of behaviour?

Apparently, insecurity is the core reason for a person’s controlling behaviour. Why is a person insecure? Why does he/she need to dominate and control others?

For convenience let’s call the person “she”.

At some point in her life when she was young and incapable of processing thoughtless words that some significant person in her life spoke, words like…
“You can do better!”
“You’ll never amount to anything.”
“Why can’t you be like your brother/ sister?”
“When are you going to learn?”

…which made her feel worthless, useless, hopeless, and rejected. These are “thorns” that lodge deep in her soul and begin to fester.

An insecure person uses control to express the need to be “somebody”. They try to obliterate the feelings of uselessness and rejection by claiming the limelight.

In the way other people try to control us, they are conveying an unspoken message that causes us deep harm. “I am bigger, better, know more, can do more… than you!” Such a person is, saying, in effect, “You are nothing. I reject you.”

People who feel rejected react in different ways. Some cover their hurt with outbursts of violent anger. Some creep into their shells and become shy, weak, and over-complaint nobodies. Others resort to being dominating and controlling “know-it-alls” in an effort to feel significant. They have are so traumatised that they resort to controlling others to cover up their own nothingness.

Unfortunately, we either behave in one of these ways or we become victims of these kinds of behaviour, all expressions of rejection, without understanding the reasons behind them. Do we ever ask the question, for example, “Why do I feel so angry?” or “Why am I afraid of people?” or “Why do I have to be in the limelight all the time?”… or “Why does so-and-so make me feel so useless?”

These abnormal ways of behaving are expressions of insecurity. We don’t know who we really are. We are uncomfortable inside our own skin. We react to these feelings by covering up and burying them under unacceptable behaviour.

I believe that there is not a person on earth who has not felt rejected at some time in life. We have a society full of people bumping into each other to cover up our feelings of inadequacy.

Let’s look at rejection. What is rejection? Why is rejection so damaging?

My thoughts turned to Jesus. Suffering was the Father’s way of qualifying Him to be our Saviour.

Hebrews 2:10 NLT
[10] “God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.”

What was the nature of Jesus’ suffering? Was it the physical suffering He endured when He was crucified? Was it the indignities He suffered as a human? Isaiah and John give us the clue.

Isaiah 53:3 NLT
[3]”He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.”

John 1:10-11 NLT
[10] “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. [11] He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.”

Contempt! Rejection! The very core of Jesus’ suffering. Rejection was the worst that humans could inflict on their God.

The Hebrew word for rejection means “vacant”.

I asked Meta (an AI service on WhatsApp that provides information on anything you want to know), for the meaning of “vacant” and what an insightful reply I received! Here is the summary. “In general, vacant implies a sense of emptiness, lack, or unoccupation.”

The Bible says that Jesus purposefully emptied Himself until He became nothing. In the eyes of His enemies He was rejected because they considered Him to be “vacant”! Even His family thought He was crazy!

When someone rejects you through derogatory words or actions, they treat you as, and leave you feeling “vacant”. There can be no attitude towards you more damaging than this. When you believe the words that make you feel empty, useless, unwanted, you eventually become what you believe. If you take these words to heart, you will be emotionally crippled by their poison. These words become a thorn that is driven deep into the core of who you are.

The Apostle Paul was also called to the same suffering, rejection by his own people and by the Gentiles to whom he was sent. Like Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles wanted to kill him, and eventually they did.

Acts of the Apostles 9:15-16 NLT
[15] “But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. [16] And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

How does one deal with rejection? You cannot undo the words that produced the feeling of rejection but you can pull out the” thorn” that caused the festering wound.

God gave Paul the answer to his “thorn”.

2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT
[7], …”So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.”

“A thorn in my flesh” is a particularly meaningful expression to Paul on his description. The insinuation that he was vacant, rejected, aroused violent reactions from his old, fleshly, sinful nature. Was Paul saying that the rejection he faced from both Jews and Gentiles caused his flesh to rise up in rebellion, defence? Did he react with anger, resentment, bitterness, thoughts of revenge? However…

First, Paul recognised, on hindsight, that his “thorn”, though initiated by the devil, had a purpose, to remind him of who he really was, a frail human utterly reliant on the Lord. He had no power in himself to overcome his fleshly reactions.

Second, Paul had to, “pull the thorn” by dealing with his anger and resentment against those who rejected him. When God revealed his thorn’s purpose, Paul understood its value, to teach him reliance on God’s grace, to stop being angry with his persecutors and to trust God in his circumstances. Anger and resentment caused the “thorn” to fester in his heart. He pulled it out by admitting he was wrong, forgiving those who rejected him, and replacing sinful reactions with a new perspective.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT
[9] Each time he (God) said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. [10] That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Meta added this amazing perspective on rejection…

“Rejection can be tough but shifting our perspective can help. Seeing rejection as a “vacant” space that’s available for something new and better to come in can be really liberating.”

Wow, that’s exactly how Paul responded to his thorn, once he had pulled it out. Gratitude to the Lord for the opportunity to receive His “enough” grace replaced his prayer to get rid of the thorn. God didn’t pull it out. Paul pulled the thorn out and allowed the wound to heal by changing his perspective and his attitude.

Once the thorn is out, we still need to deal with the infection, the dead cells and purulence that remain in the wound. The infection is caused by “bacteria” introduced by the thorn, the lies we believed that festered and caused the emotional
pain.

The medicine we use to counter the lies is the truth of God’s Word. We receive healing by “being transformed by the renewing of our minds.” By reading and believing what God says about us, we replace lies with truth.

Isaiah 53:5 NIV
[5] “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are HEALED.”

Healing of the wound and cleaning out the infection caused by the thorn happen by replacing the lies of the devil with the truth of God’s Word.

Jesus’ death in our place forgave all our sin, reconciled us to the Father and made us fully acceptable to Him. We are His beloved sins and daughters. What could be better than that?

Jesus said,

John 6:37 NLT
[37]”Those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.”

So, we can also shake off rejection as Paul shook off the poisonous snake and have no after effects. Through knowledge and understanding, Jesus has set us free from our pain and provided us with the food and water of the “green pastures and quiet waters”.

To be concluded…