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The Lord Will Not Reject You
Andrea Lende • June 2, 2020
John 6:37
I Will Never Reject
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/I-Will-Never-Reject-You-eetflt
Daily Word:
John 6:37
“All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me].”
As I read this passage today, I was encouraged.
I have read it many times in the past, but in these days of turmoil I find it especially comforting.
In a world that continues to reject people, the Lord will never reject me.
He will never cast me out.
I will always be welcome to the Lord.
Even in less tumultuous days, I find comfort in knowing that Jesus will keep me.
He will not separate Himself from me.
I am welcome.
I will not be judged.
As the world judges harshly, the Lord loves mercifully.
He is my Rock.
He is my Comforter.
He is my Hiding Place.
As I take solace in Him, He readies me for His service.
He strengthens me so that He can use me.
He sends me out to love and give mercy.
He sends me out to serve.
I would be unable to be used by Him if I did not spend time with Him.
I would be less than prepared if He were not my Keeper.
And, so I go to Him.
I give Him my concerns, worries, fears, and burdens.
He takes those things and replaces them with peace, mercy, grace, and strength.
In a world full of chaos and unrest, He is still peace.
He will always be the One Who loves all, accepts all, and Who gave all.
Today I choose to be thankful for the way that God loves me, accepts me, and will never reject me.
May you find that the Lord is Your keeper and that He will never reject you – ever.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for accepting me just as I am. Thank You for Your promise of accepting me always, and rejecting me never. Thank You for choosing me to be Yours. Thank You for showing me more and more of You each day. Thank You for being my calm in the storm. Help me to always look to You, Lord, before I look to the world. May Your peace be upon me this day. Help me accept Your love and all that You have to give me even when I feel unworthy. Lord, forgive me for all my shortcomings and sins. Help me do better today than yesterday. As I fall short of perfection the shame comes quickly to rob me of Your presence. Bring me back to You as quickly as I fall away. Thank You for the promise of Your love, Father. Although I do not deserve it, You cover me in Your love today and every day. Keep my defenses down so that I can allow You to fully love me. Help me stay in Your presence. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: You will always be Mine, My child, and I will always love you.
Response: Undeservedly Yours, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.