Not If but When

“Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly.

“They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?”

And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul.

He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did.

Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself,

“I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.”

I Samuel 18:8-11

 

You might say it was the beginning of the end for King Saul.

Saul had slain his thousands but David had slain his tens of thousands.

That is what the people were singing in the streets.

It became, for Saul, like one of those songs you can’t get out of your head.

Except this one amplified – in Saul’s mind – the rejection of the people of Israel.

They honored David over Saul.

They preferred David over Saul.

It was just a matter of time before they crowned David in Saul’s place.

It didn’t have to follow that course.

Saul failed to deal with the rejection and so it eventually destroyed his life.

We face the same choice.

When (not if, but when) we are rejected we must deal with the rejection or it will destroy us.

Maybe not in the same way, maybe not in the same time frame but make no mistake; it will turn your focus from Christ to the offense.

In yesterday’s text we looked at the time Jesus ministered in His home town.

The people were offended and for the most part rejected Him and His message.

While it impacted what could be accomplished there for the Kingdom of God, it did not deter Jesus from His mission.

We are told that after that, “Jesus went from village to village teaching the people.”

Will rejection stop you in your tracks?

------or------

Will you deal with it and keep moving forward on the path God has laid out for your life?

You choose…