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Intimacy With God In Rejection By Others

Paul... was testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But... the Jews opposed Paul.
Acts 18:6

It hurts to be rejected by those you love. When Paul tried to share his new faith with his old friends, "they opposed him." He was so hurt by their rejection that God had to encourage him saying, "Do not be afraid...I am with you and no one is going to...harm you" (Acts 18:9-10). Later when he reached out to some of the disciples, they were wary of him too. They saw him as too Jewish to be Christian and too Christian to be Jewish. So, throughout his ministry Paul suffered at the hands of those he loved.

But being rejected by others can bring a greater intimacy with God. When they stoned Paul and left him for dead, he had a glorious vision of heaven (See Acts 14). You see, being rejected makes you lean on God like never before, because you have nowhere else to turn. In fact, at times like that unless you hear from God, there is no other word coming!

When others reject you, God has a way of opening doors to levels of blessing you would otherwise miss. Your greatest growth experiences generally result from your greatest trials. The Psalmist said, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies (vindication), thou anointest my head with oil (daily empowerment), my cup runneth over" (greater blessing), (See Psalm 23:5). Just think, without some pain and opposition, you would not get to sit at God's table and enjoy His best.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me rely on your for my identity and acceptance, knowing that often times people “blow in the wind” and can be cruel. Thank you for your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen