If you have been reading my last few devotionals, you have found how people handle life differently due to past rejections. The unresolved root of rejection causes them to incur more pain and more rejection in life. However, not every bad choice is due to past root of rejection. 

Self-Made Rejection

Sometimes the rejection experienced is self-made, and it is not due to past rejections. Ultimately, every person has a choice to do either what is right or rebel against the established system. Adam & Eve in their perfect state were never rejected.  Their disobedience was not due to the root of rejection, but they exercised their choice by disobeying God. Once they sinned, God did reject them by placing a curse on them and driving them out of the Garden. Their disobedience led them to rejection. 

And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Genesis 4: 3-7

Cain was another example of self-made rejection. The Lord did not approve of Cain’s sacrifice but told him that he would be accepted when he does right. God did not reject Cain, but He corrected him. In addition, God gave him a warning. He told him that if Cain does not do what is right, sin is right around the corner to rule over him.

Sometimes, we don’t like the rules or the parameters established, so we do it our way. We think by doing it our own way, we are making a statement that the person setting the rules is unreasonable and it’s unnecessary to follow them. However, this opens to sin ruling over us and keeping us in its grip. 

The Lord told Cain that when he chose to disobey God’s expectation, sin was at the door trying to take control of his life. Cain thought he could do it his own way, but when God wasn’t pleased, it made him angry.

Cain’s behavior wasn’t due to injustice, and neither God’s correction was unjust. Cain had to be willing to see the consequences of his actions and desire to change them. Cain still had the opportunity to correct his mistake. Unfortunately, he chose not to deal with the condition of his own heart and took out his anger on his brother by killing Abel.

And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” Genesis 3: 10-12

I doubt the day Cain chose to offer a sacrifice unacceptable to God, he thought this would lead him someday to murdering his brother, but his actions began a process that took him down the path of anger, rejection, and bondage to sin. Cain incurred God’s rejection because of his own choices and became a vagabond in his life. 

Are there certain people or systems that you have been ignoring or fighting against?  Rejection does not have to be the story of your life. The situation is not about them. It is about you and the condition of your heart before God. Stop arguing with God and listen to His instructions. Take responsibility for your part and make it your goal to do what is right. Doing right frees you from the enemy having a legal right to rule over your soul and ultimately over your actions.

In the last two devotionals, I have been sharing about the root of rejection and how people manifest it differently in the manner they operate. Some set out to compete and beat the system. Others feel victimized and give in to the system, and the third group reject the system by rebelling against it. Today’s devotional  is about the those who rebel against the system.

Rebelling against the system

Some people choose to rebel as a reaction to rejection. Their pain is translated into insubordination against the established system and dishonoring what is right and appropriate. The consequence of their rebellion affects their walk with the Lord, creates destruction in relationships, undermines their future, and harms others. Consequently, their behavior creates more rejection by others leading to anger and frustration and developing a cycle of rebellion.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. Genesis 37:3 

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.  But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. Genesis 37:17b-18

Joseph’s brothers felt rejected by their father, and they were jealous of the attention Joseph was receiving. Their hatred led them to plot to kill their own brother. Ruben, one of the brothers, intervened, and instead, they sold Joseph into slavery (See Genesis 37). Not only their actions caused great pain for everyone involved, but they also had to live with the guilt of selling their brother and lying to their father. 

On the other hand, Joesph, who was deeply rejected by his brothers, did not allow their actions to define his identity. He remained faithful and steadfast in spite of hard times. Because he kept a pure heart, he was able to bless his family when he finally encountered them.

Injustice can cause great pain in the hearts of people, but we each have to take responsibility for the condition of our hearts. If we allow others’ bad behavior to cause bitterness and resentment to grow in our hearts, we will distrust everyone and will continue to fight against the established system. Rebellion may offer a fictitious feeling of power, but, in reality, it takes the person down a path of deeper of bondage. 

If we choose to forgive those who have rejected us, we allow God to heal our hearts and reestablish our identity.  Bitterness equals bondage! Forgiveness equals freedom! 

The root of rejection manifests itself in different ways. As I shared in the last devotional, some choose to try to beat the system, others give in to the system, and some rebel against the system.  Today’s devotional is about those who give in to the system. 

Give In to the System

Some people deal with rejection by giving in to the system. This group does not fight or compete but just gives up trying to achieve. They quit what they start. They have a victim mentality and an excuse for things not working out. They complain about their problems, hold grudges, and grow bitter. They want more in life,  but they don’t see themselves capable of moving forward. Or they think the system is unjust and too powerful for them to overcome it. They lose motivation in life and become lazy, bitter, or depressed. This kind of behavior becomes a self fulfilling prophecy, and it reenforces the lie they have believed.

And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” Exodus 15:24

How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Number 14:27

The Israelites were in slavery in Egypt for 400 years. The generation that left with Moses grew up in slavery. Up to that point, they had lived their entire lives at the mercy of others making decisions for them. Whenever things didn’t go right, they just complained because they saw themselves victims of circumstances.

God used Moses to rescue the Israelites, but in their hearts they were still victims. They had to believe that God was going to change their lives, but they also had to cooperate with the new season to see the fruit of that change. Unfortunately, the generation rescued from slavery believed the lies and rejected God’s truth. The Lord desired to get them to the Promise Land, but they forfeit that privilege. From those that left Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb saw the Promised Land because they believed God and released their past identity. 

I grew up in a culture that did not value women and this impacted our family. Sometimes it was very oppressive, and it felt impossible to overcome. Over the years, I learned to forgive again and again when the feelings of rejection came. I have also learned not to interpret others’ bad behavior as not valuing a woman. There were years that I battled the voice of rejection, but I have chosen not to feed it. Instead, I always ask the Lord, “What do you say about this?” I have greater sensitivity for those who don’t have a voice because they are a woman.

We all may have felt victims of certain situations or were victimized by some people. If we desire not to live with the pain of that rejection, we need to forgive those who have sinned against us. We have to break that cycle of rejection by renouncing the lie and coming into agreement with what God says about us. The Lord defines our true identity.  Unlike the rest of their generation, Joshua and Caleb survived the desert. They chose to believe God and came out of agreement with their victimized past and took on their real identity. Choose to believe the Lord this week!

I don’t think there is anyone on the face of this earth who has not experienced rejection. Rejection entered our world when Adam and Eve decided to sin.  The fear of punishment and rejection came upon them because they rebelled against God.  Up to this point, Adam walked with God and he had a close relationship with the Lord. However, after the fall things changed. Adam and Eve hid themselves from God. They were ashamed of being naked. Adam rejected God’s design and blamed Eve’s defectiveness for his wrongdoing, and God cursed Adam and Eve and drove them out from the Garden, so they would not eat from the Tree of Life (See Genesis 3). 

Definition of Reject according to Strong’s Concordance:

(Hebrew 3998): refuse and despise.

Greek (G114) to do away with, to set aside, disregard, to thwart the efficacy of anything, nullify, make void, frustrate.

Rejection comes from different sources. Most of the time, our rejection has come from family members and friends. Those who are supposed to love and accept us can create the most damage. At times, we reject ourselves because of what we have done or our character flaws. Sometimes, we may feel abandoned by God because we turned away from Him or those in authority over us misrepresented Him. 

According to Dr. Neil Anderson (from his book Victory Over the Darkness), we react to rejection by: beating the system, giving in to the system, or rebelling against the system. Each of those approaches bring about more rejection, and we continue the cycle of rejection until we become aware of our behavior.

Beat the System

So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,  ‘Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’  Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I command you.  Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves.  Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it,and that he may bless you before his death.” Genesis 26:6-10

Those who beat the system develop a very competitive nature, and they try to control and manipulate people to get their way. Jacob was an example of someone who continually beat the system.  Jacob’s mother already had a prophecy that the older was going to serve the younger (See Genesis 25:22-23), but that did not stop Rebecca.  She and Jacob plotted to deceive Isaac to ensure that Jacob was going to get the blessings of Esau. 

Those who want to beat the system focus on reaching their goal with no regard to how they achieve it.  Their achievement makes them feel significant and honorable. However, when their lies and manipulation are exposed, they feel fearful and ashamed. This begins the cycle of more deceit and manipulation, so they can regain the respect and acceptance of others. This kind of behavior brings about great rejection from family, friends, and coworkers because no one likes to be cheated or deceived by others. 

If we desire not to be rejected, we have to do the hard work of recovery. We have to say no in desiring to impress others or striving to gain their attention. Once we recognize that we have believed a lie, we must renounce the lie.  We need to ask the Lord for forgiveness for trying to create false acceptance through competition, backbiting, manipulation, or control. He is faithful to forgive us and give us new chances.  God’s acceptance of us is far more valuable than any sense of identity we receive in trying to beat the system or impressing others.

The Lord has work for us to do, and it gives us joy in doing it as unto Him.  Paul’s ministry was full of ups and downs, but in all circumstances, he was joyful in doing his work and desired to continue to build the Kingdom.

For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. 2Corinthians 1:12

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

Paul had the privilege of ministering to multitudes and was instrumental in establishing many churches for the glory of God. However, he had many adversaries in every corner who were trying to kill him or block his work. Paul was able to keep his joy in the midst of trying circumstances because his did his ministry with simplicity and godly sincerity. He had no ulterior motives. He wasn’t looking to make a big name for himself or develop a following. He did everything as unto the Lord.

Paul knew that God had designed a specific course for him to finish. This caused him not to be shaken by various difficulties. While running his race, Paul continued to look to Jesus who was waiting for him at the finish line.  Paul was joyful because he always kept an eternal perspective while pouring his life into helping others. 

What work has the Lord given you to do? Are you serving the Lord with a joyful heart? Or do you allow people or circumstances to steal your joy? Thank Him for the opportunity to serve Him today and do it with a glad heart. 

I recently came across this short video of a busy and joyful 100 year old lady. It’s inspiring to see this very old woman serving her Lord with joy. Click on the link below to watch it and be blessed.

100-year-old Seamstress Makes Dresses to Pack in Shoebox Gifts

The Lord is joyful, and He desires to bless us and share His joy with us. He also has provided avenues for us to increase and maximize our joy. We can be Joyful when we have answered prayers, live at peace with others, and give of ourselves to others.

Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16: 24

In Jesus’ final teachings, He told His disciples that they can begin asking for the things they need in His name. Up to this point, they had seen Jesus pray to the Father, but they may not have found much need for prayer since Jesus walked with them. Now that Jesus was about to leave, He showed them how to communicate with God and receive what they needed. Their answered prayers would add to their joy reminding them of God’s love and care towards them.

We have a tendency to have a long list of prayer requests that hardly diminishes, and we ritualistically pray about them. This takes away the opportunity for us to be thankful for answered prayers. There are many prayers that God has already answered in our lives. We should praise God for His provision in those areas.

When our prayers are heartfelt, they open the door for God to intervene. When He answers those prayers, it fills our hearts with great joy and peace knowing that Abba Father has heard our prayers and has come through for us. That’s a moment of celebration!

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Philippians 2: 1-2

Living at peace with other people adds joy and peace to our lives. Quarrel, disagreement, and disunity steal our joy and leave us burdened and miserable. When we make the effort to reconcile with others, lay down our opinions,  and forgive offenses, we get lighter in our spirit and see the joy of the Lord return to our hearts. This doesn’t mean that all of issues with people are resolved, but we do our part to live at peace with them. We take ownership of the part that belongs to us, and we trust that God is at work in the situation and in people’s hearts. 

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy. 1Thessalonians 2:19-20

Paul, as a spiritual parent, was excited and thankful for his spiritual children. Even in his hardships, he was joyful about the ones he had ministered to.

When we invest time, love, and prayer in others’ lives, it gives us great joy to see them grow and mature in God. It is a blessing to be selfless and to give to others. The Lord wants us to enjoy the fruit of our labor and the opportunity to selflessly give of ourselves to others.

Let’s thank the Lord for the answered prayers and take a moment to enjoy them before offering new requests. Think about how God has used you to bless others recently and enjoy being a giver and a reconciler. May your day be full of joy!

The Lord is full of joy and desires to bless us with the gift of joy. Joy is one of the characteristics of the fruit of the spirit. Growing in God will grow us in joy! The love of God makes us joyful!

Sometimes our joy is encumbered because we are worried and stressed about the issues of life. It’s almost impossible to be joyful if we don’t have the peace of God in our lives!

But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. John 16:5-7

When Jesus walked with His disciples, He told them that it was better for Him to go, so the Holy Spirit would come.  The Lord sent the Holy Spirit to be our guide and comforter. I think, we underestimate the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

When we lose our peace, we lose our joy in the process! The Holy Spirit is available to help us but waits for us to ask. When we ask the Lord to intervene and give Him room to work, we begin to see transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

If we yield to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we can experience supernatural peace of God. The comfort that the Holy Spirit gives settles our nerves and calms us down. At times, the Holy Spirit helps us by giving us counsel on how to handle a situation. At other times, His comfort overtakes us because we have surrendered a situation that is not ours to fix. 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Believing that Abba Father is full of joy and peace, gives us the freedom and the permission to be joyful and peaceful. The joy of God makes us feel light and hopeful. It gives us confident expectation for our future. The gloomy cloud of hopelessness gets blown away because we see God on our side. The power of the Holy Spirit quickens our frail souls and fills us with unspeakable joy and peace as we trust in Him. 

What steals your joy? What does God say about that issue? Is it your problem to fix? Would you allow the Holy Spirit to be your helper and comforter today? 

Sometimes, we have a tendency to pick up what we had already surrendered to the Lord and we lose our peace and joy. Keep going to the Lord and giving it back to Him. If there is something for you to do, He will show you. Otherwise, trust Him that He is at work!

What is your image of God? Is He confident, powerful, and joyful? Or is He threatening, angry, and aggressive? Is He present and enthusiastic? Or is He indifferent and passive? Chances are that the Lord mirrors your perception of  your earthly father. 

If your earthly father was present, capable, and affectionate then you are more likely to believe that God is the same for you. If he was absent, mean, or unresponsive then that is your view of God. If your earthly father was fearful, weak, or passive them most likely you don’t see God as a strong and capable God.

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. Psalm 21:6 (NIV)

Since in God’s presence there is joy and gladness, then it means God is glad and joyful! He is happy, relaxed, and confident.  

If you are a Christian, you’re are God’s child, and He is pleased to be with you. Don’t we get excited when we see our children!? We yearn to embrace them and love on them. When our children are in our presence, they know they will be showered with love and blessings. God has so much joy that when we are in His presence, His joy can overflow and overtake us.

God has no worries or fears. He has no insecurities or uncertainties. His desire is to have fellowship with us just as He did with Adam (before the Fall) and with Jesus (during His earthly ministry). The Lord has done His part in making His love known to us. It’s our job to run to Him, receive the embrace of Abba Father, and enjoy His joyful presence!

Furthermore, Psalm 16:11 reminds us that God will show us the right way of handling life. The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but our God is a giver of life. It is His desire for us to have life to the full measure (see John 10:10).  God is not looking to just make us happy momentarily. He desires to help us build a solid and abundant life in Him, and joy is included in the package deal! 

Sit quietly before the Lord and meditate on the above scriptures. Allow Him to fill you with joy and wisdom in His presence!

The Lord has blessed us with the gift of emotions. If they are handled appropriately, they are very valuable. They allow us to express ourselves in varied circumstances and situations. We can express our joy, excitement, disappointment, sadness, hope, and expectations. 

We are tri-part beings made of spirit, soul, and body. Our soul is comprised of mind, will, and emotions. The soul is the entity that operates between our physical body and our spirit man. Our emotions, which are part of the soul, can be either influenced by our physical bodies or by our spirit man.

If we allow our emotions to be controlled by external circumstances, we will be tossed to and fro by people and various circumstances. Our emotions will begin to rule our lives and cause us to live on a emotional roller coaster.

On the other hand, if the emotions are controlled by the Holy Spirit they bring life, vitality, and animation to our lives. They can show the heart of God to others and allow us to be a conduit for His purpose on the earth.

While the scripture addresses specific emotions such as joy, sadness, or anger, it does not deal with the issue of feelings as a whole. The Bible looks at each emotion, and it addresses it differently depending on what is rooted in. 

A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back. Proverbs 29:11

The above verse is the only scripture in New King James Version that addresses emotions as a whole. This scripture points to the fact that people tend to vent their emotions in unhealthy ways. However, a wise person does not give over the rein of his/her life to the emotions but has learned to restrain them.

Our emotions tend to lie to us and make something appear more urgent and critical that it really is. They have a way of bubbling up inside of us to the point that have to be vented. Emotions can become a raging river that floods everything that it comes into contact. 

Why do we have to vent? Do we believe that it keeps us real? Do we think we may lose the opportunity to address the issue if we don’t react to it right away? Have our emotions helped us to get our way in the past, so we use them to manipulate others? Do we feel powerful when we are emotional because others back off? Are we prophetic and assume that all our emotions are led by Lord?

We see the affect of this in our churches and society. Some get married out of emotions and then they find themselves out of love in a few years.  Some in moments of rage hurt each other verbally or physically breaking down relationships in the heat of the moment. Others can be jubilant and excited at church but don’t know how to get along with their mate or pay their bills. Some get very emotional about their bad decisions but once the emotions subside, they go back to doing the same thing as before. In addition, we see all kinds of hurtful and disrespectful material on social media because people get emotional and find a need to vent right away.

If we don’t restrain our emotions, they will control us and the results can be bad decisions impacting our lives as well as others. It is important to slow down. Pray, and give ourselves time to calm down. Our Spirit man should take the lead and not allow our emotions to run ahead of our spirit man.

The solar eclipse was a hot topic in the last few weeks, and many were excited this past Monday to take advantage of the rare opportunity to observe this phenomenon.

Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Psalm 148:3

                                                Source: Church Leaders Facebook Post

It is always amazing to me how people can get so excited about these type of events, but not bother to consider who is behind it all. The fact that the scientists can so accurately determine the time and the location of the eclipse points to a reliable God who has organized the galaxies in structured and predictable form. This allows man to predict when the moon would move between the earth and the sun, and it would cast its shadow on certain parts of the world. That’s just incredibly amazing to me! He is so worthy to be praised for His created order! He allows us to live with the certainty of His creation following a known pattern. 

Upon my research I found that the sun is 400 times greater than the moon. Therefore, as far as the size is concerned, there is no way that the moon can cover the sun. However, the sun is 400 times further from the earth than the moon. This explains why with our natural eyes the moon does not look that much smaller than the sun. Furthermore, since the moon is so much closer to the earth, it can cast its shadow and block the sun rays temporarily resulting in an eclipse on the earth.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

Spiritually speaking, Christians can experience a solar eclipse in their lives! We allow the issues of life to get so up close that they appear larger and more powerful than the Lord. The problems cast a shadow on our lives and take away the beautiful rays of His light that are always available to us. The Lord is all powerful, omniscient, and omnipresent. Nothing can block His glory in our lives. However, in our carnal nature, we can magnify the problem to the point of blocking our vision. 

It is our job to magnify the Lord, remind ourselves of who God is, and exalt Him for His power and His glory! His nature does not change just because we have chosen to focus on the problem. He is still capable and available to send His light, warm our hearts , and guide our paths.

On Monday, I stepped outside just to experience what was happening during the solar eclipse. During the eclipse, I noticed the following changes: the wind picked up, the skies turned gray, and the temperature dropped. Isn’t that how we feel when we begin to focus on our problems and allow them to cast a shadow of doubt and uncertainty on our faith!?

Praise God that the solar eclipses do not last long. Our eclipses do not need to last long either. Let’s magnify His name and trust Him. He is at work in our lives, and He will guide us every step of the way because He is a good and faithful Father!