Acceptance or Rejection
Believing in God is so very important to Him. There are dozens of scriptures that reveal the many promises and even our very salvation that is wrapped up in our believing in Him.
In the very beginning, a crafty deceiver arrived on the scene and with subtle accusations put doubts in the minds of the first man and woman, whether God was being completely truthful and honest with them. He questioned, “Did God really say . . . ? Then blatantly accused God of lying.
The truth of the matter is that this cunning one, who accused God, now stands before Him and accuses us. He is the original liar and deceiver, not God. But have we fallen for his deception even today. How many still say in their hearts, “Did God really say. . . ? Do we doubt instead of believing the word of God? Do we doubt God is who He says He is? Do we doubt He can do the things He said He could do?
When man sinned, he started hiding from God. Are you hiding from Him when His greatest desire is to be with you? When you act like you don’t care, He won’t want to be around; in the same way you don’t want to be around someone that makes you feel like they don’t care about you.
God is love. He is grace and mercy, as well as all power and all authority. It is who He is - it’s His essence. When you believe in Him, you validate who He is. You validate His love as well as His power. When you don’t believe Him - it’s the same as rejecting Him. You also reject His love and His power to make a difference in your life. God hurts because people don’t believe Him, because they don’t listen to Him. He’s looking for us and waiting for us to come to Him.
Even the fallen angels believe. They know God is supreme and they know Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of mankind. What is the difference in the way the fallen angels believe and the way we must? They committed treason. They wanted to be supreme. And, they don’t want mankind to have the opportunity to be in God’s awesome presence either - now that they have given up that right.
Believing is an action word. True believing in God is responding to Him and what He says in a positive way.
Take for instance: Sometimes people can give lip service - to God and even to you. They may say, I love you, but never act like it. Instead they make you feel rejected and ignored at every turn. They don’t accept who you are - your presence or your essence. They don’t believe in you. In other words, they don’t believe what you say. Your likes or dislikes, your feelings, your opinions, your thoughts mean nothing to them. Your total person, who and what you are has been rejected and denied.
Is that how we make God feel when He says I am your God and you are my people, and we proceed to ignore Him, reject Him, turn our backs on Him, and not listen to or obey Him? True believing is listening to, understanding and responding. And isn’t this really all about being loved as well. When you are listened to, understood, and responded to, you feel loved. If you are ignored, you feel rejected and unloved. You can know someone exists, yet still reject all that they are. Let’s not be guilty of rejecting God and His Son because of doubt erroneously placed in our hearts.
Does God understand emotional pain?
God wants us to listen to Him. He wants to be heard. He wants us to understand His heart. Yet when He came to speak to the Israelite nation so very long ago, they were afraid and told Moses to talk to Him, for them. Today people say, “Lord we worship and praise you”. Then when He tries to manifest Himself to them, they say that’s not God, or go away, leave us in our lip service to you.
God made us in His image so He also experiences the same emotions we do: sadness, gladness, anger, peace, hurt, joy etc. Do you think God wants to be around people who give Him lip service, say I love you, but reject and deny who He is - His will and His heart? Do you think He doesn’t feel that rejection? Instead of looking forward to His blessings and promises, many feel like He is a burden to them - someone they have to accept, but not get too close to.
A revelation given to Pastor Darrell Morgan:
God took me to His throne room where we had an extended conversation. Then Jesus asked, “Why don’t the people listen to me?” I answered, “I don’t know”. Again He asked, “Why don’t the people listen to me?” Again I answered, “I don’t know”. And the emotional pain of the Lord overwhelmed me and I wept and wept.
Sometimes we may think God is far away and has no concern for us, but it isn’t true. He loves us so much and wants to spend time with us. He wants to be a loving and caring father to us. Yet He still is sovereign God.
I’ve heard it said many times that we keep God in a box. But I think we are the ones in a box. God knows who He is - the great “I AM”. And, He knows what He can accomplish - nothing is impossible for God. We are the ones with the limited thinking. We are the ones in the box. Isn’t it so much easier staying in our familiar environments, in our familiar circumstances, with our familiar friends - where it’s comfortable, but not always safe? Yet God said I want you to have an abundant life. (Not one good day or one good year but for “life”.) He wants you to be healthy. He wants to give you peace. He wants you to experience joy.
Isn’t it time we get out of the box and take the limits off of a limitless God? Isn’t it time we walk with Him, hand-in-hand. It’s time. It’s time to accept Him - not reject Him.
By Nancy L. Harry
Eagles Rest Ministries
www.e-eaglesrest.com
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