Suffering

Gen 37:23-24

And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him; and they took him, and cast him into the pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

Rejection doesn’t get much more profound than Joeseph being thrown down into a pit by his own family and, a couple of hours later, sold into slavery. Rejection can have significant spiritual, emotional, and psychological impacts on a person. How it affects an individual can vary greatly depending on their beliefs, coping mechanisms, and support system.

However, some possible good consequences come from rejection; you can ask any famous country singer. But in Joseph’s case, his brothers were about to murder him, and then Reuben stepped in and saved his life by having him thrown into the pit, intending to save him later. What would Reuben have been able to do if he had returned and rescued Joseph later that day? Hand him a flask of water and a morsel of bread, and like Moses, send him out into the wilderness. My point is the trial was happening no matter which way Joseph turned.

You may suffer from rejection as we all have, and you may not know how to turn. It gets to the point where we beg God instead of thanking God. “1Th 5:18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward” (KJV).

Some signs that you are suffering from rejection are loss of self-worth, low self-esteem, feeling inadequate, self-doubt, questing God, your belief in Christ, and anger. We have an enemy, and these are emotions that he will employ to bring you to a place of rejection, rejection of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, as your deliverer. The whole purpose of any trial is to get you to renounce God, get angry, quit, and give up. It’s like Satan is filling your cup, a cup of wrath.

I have been fortunate to have suffered through these types of trials. I asked Jesus with a broken heart a couple of times, “why?” I heard the same answer, “They didn’t reject you; they rejected Me.” Jesus is well acquainted with rejection; Joeseph was a prototype of Christ’s suffering and His rejection. Every time someone walks away from Jesus, it’s that type of rejection that he suffers once again. It is like a form of worship to the enemy, but To Christ, it is an opportunity for Him to display His grace and His love towards you.

He knows what you have been through and chooses to fill your cup with His blood, the communion of Christ. No matter which way you turn, Jesus has a plan. It may not look or feel like it now, but I know “You will overcome.” The actions of others do not determine your value. The actions of Christ determines your value; He laid down His life for you because He determines your worth.

He is: Hesed (חֶסֶד)

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.

Blessings