Fear and Rejection

 Fear and Rejection.   

      We all suffer rejection.  Sometimes we even feel rejected by God.  He doesn't seem to hear our desires we think.   Our plans are not His, and we know that, but that does not satifsy us.  He is looking for us to see that without Him we can do nothing, and living in His presence is better than all the other things we think we need or want.  Today's lesson in the fear series is , " Secure in God's love, I will not surrender my self-worth to the opinions and judgments of others.  When I am rejected, I will not retaliate; when I am hurt, I will allow God to heal me.  And knowing the pain of rejection, I will seek to love those who suffer from its anguish."  Lloyd Ogilvie 12 Steps To Living Without Fear

I learned that Psalm 27 breaks down in these three areas.  " The LORD is my light.  And my salvation.The LORD is the strength of my life.  Of whom shall I be afraid?"  

" Let's face it.  We all need approval and acceptance.  ...We hedge our convictions and adjust our values in order not to do or say anything that will cause people to reject us."  Ogilvie

1.  The LORD is my light. The little Hebrew word for light suggests the morning sun.  Only God can meet the aching need to be loved.  Other people cannot do that all the time.

Punching Holes in the Darkness

I’ve always loved the story about Robert Louis Stevenson growing up in Scotland. In those days, streetlamps didn’t just come on automatically; people were hired to light each one individually. One evening, as the lamplighters did their work, climbing their ladders, lifting the glass lid, lighting the torch, shutting the lid, climbing down, and moving on to the next lamp, young Stevenson was enthralled. As dusk settled into night, one light would be kindled, then another, and another. He turned to his parents and said: “Look, they’re punching holes in the darkness!”  the pastor's workshop.com

John's Gospel in the first chapter echoes this as well.  " In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." 1:4

" We need this perspective that comes with the illuminating light of the Lord.  In that revealing light we can see things as they really are.  We can ask ourselves, ' Why am I so troubled by this rebuff?  Why has this person's or group's opinion of me become so important?  Could it be that what they think is more important to me than what God thinks?  Do I need their acceptance more than His?"  Ogilvie

The ladies at the wedding feast in Matthew 25 had wise ones and foolish ones.  Some had oil for their lamps, and some did not and missed the bridgegroom.  " ...I know you not.  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh."  vs 13

2.  With light, comes salvation.  When other people's approval becomes more than God's, then we need to realize we have been worhshipping a " false God we've made of people's approval and (need) ...a humble prayer for profound inner healing." Ogilvie

Perhaps there is some truth in what others are saying.  Do I insist on my own way without listening to the input of others in the group?

As we said last week, humility is the issue ?

3.  "  "The Lord is the strength of my life." Here is a third glowing epithet, to show that the writer's hope was fastened with a threefold cord which could not be broken."  The Treasury of David in biblehub.com Psalm 27 commentary

Stronghold means a place of protection and safety. 

Perhaps we feel misunderstood.

" Amy Carmichael , missionary to India ..told the story of Earl Jellicoe, a British naval officer, & was comforted by a letter from King George. ..' In the midst of a sea battle when Earl Jellicoe was being misunderstood by the nation he served faithfully, a letter came from King George, whose keen sea sense had the penetrated the mist which had bemused the general public.  His letter heartened the fleet.  What did anything matter now? Their King knew.'  " p. 121 Ogilvie

We learn today about fear and rejection. "Secure in God's love, I will not surrender my self-worth to the opinions and judgments of others.  When I am rejected, I will not retaliate; when I am hurt, I will allow God to heal me.  And knowing the pain of rejection, I will seek to love those who suffer from its anguish."  Lloyd Ogilvie 12 Steps To Living Without Fear