‘Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.”’ Isaiah 49:14 (NLT)
A couple of the girls I asked out back in my college years said no. Why can I still remember those occasions so clearly? Why does that embarrassment and self-doubt persist after all these years? Rejection hurts.
I don’t even have to ask. You’ve been stung by rejection too, haven’t you? Were you the last chosen for a team on the playground? Have your kids rejected your belief and value system? Has a loved one or spouse walked out on you? Have you been fired from a job?
You know what’s an even worse nightmare? Fearing that God has no more use for you. We have all given God more than enough reasons to turn away in disgust and to be done with us. “Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me'” (Isaiah 49:14).
That’s what you’d expect. That’s what you deserve. The reality, however, is that your relationship with God is based not on your performance but on Christ’s. It’s based not on your conclusions but on Christ’s sacrifice. It’s based not on your fears but on God’s love.
from Fear Not: Devotions From Time of Grace