Above Only Daily Devotional http://cgmglobal.org/aboveonly Sunday, MAY 20 Gracefully Handling Rejection Matthew 10:14 (GNB), Acts 13:50-51 (GNB)

Above Only Daily Devotional
http://cgmglobal.org/aboveonly

Sunday, MAY 20

Gracefully Handling Rejection
Matthew 10:14 (GNB), Acts 13:50-51 (GNB)
And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet. *But the Jews stirred up the leading men of the city and the Gentile women of high social standing who worshiped God. They started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of their region. The apostles shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went on to Iconium.

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Jesus never said that everybody will like you and accept you. Sometimes you will be despised and rejected by the people you never expected to do so. How will you react in such times? You are not too good to be rejected. Rejection does not mean that something is wrong with you. Jesus Himself experienced rejection. He was rejected the most by His own people, John 1:11, Matt.13:54-58. In John 15:18 & 20, Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ... Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.

Luke 9:52-56 (NKJV) speaks of how Jesus “.. sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him… And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.” Stop taking rejection personally; handle it gracefully. What they mean for evil, God will turn around for your good, Gen.50:20. Pray for them (Matt.5:44), dust your feet and keep moving forward with God's purpose for your life. Some people that reject you will come back to connect with you, Gen.26:27-28.

PRAYER: Lord, I receive Your grace to handle rejection gracefully. Help me to forgive those that reject me and keep moving forward.

BIBLE IN A YEAR READING PLAN: 1 CHRONICLES 10-12; JOHN 6:45-71

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