Acceptance – 5

Text: Job 1:6-12, Isaiah 40:15, Psalm 27:10

When you’re not accepted by the ones who should accept you… this can be the most difficult of all, both to process, heal and learn to deal with. Sometimes the person who should be accepted is someone who you will be ‘stuck with’ for lack of a better way to say it. Family, for example.

Anybody relating to that?

I have someone like that in my life. And you know, even though it feels awful, God’s still in control of the situation, and it never happens without His knowledge or, yes, even His permission.

Read Job 1:6-12 and answer these questions:

Q: In verse 12, God grants permission. Who does He allow to do what?

Q: Because God is unchanging, the way He operated in Job’s time would be the same as the way He operates now. What does this mean about the things that happen in your life? (Including the things that seemingly ‘go wrong’ in your life.) Thoughtfully write the answer in your journal, and consider sharing here in our community, in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Q: According to this passage, who does Satan have to answer to? (see verse 7)

In verse 11, Satan makes a suggestion to God:

Job 1:11 “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”” NASB

The root word for touch in the Hebrew is naga`, and it not only means to touch – it also means ‘to strike’. I believe this is a better picture of what Satan is demanding. Can you imagine, Satan who absolutely hates God, and anyone who would please Him… Really Satan hates anyone other than himself. You and I included. And there he is, answering to God about what he’s been up to, and then begs God to destroy all the blessings He’s giving him.

Does it ever feel like Satan’s up there making that same request toward you? It’s so possible that’s what’s going on. But look at the root reason he has for destroying peoples’ lives – see verse 11 again.

Q: What is the ultimate goal Satan has when he craves our demise?

Now that we’ve got all that foundation laid, I’d like you to continue with me on our next text. Please read Isaiah 49:15 and Psalm 27:10. Since they’re short, I’ve included them here.

Isaiah 49:15 “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” KJV

Psalms 27:10 “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” KJV

In Psalm 27:10, the phrase ‘take me up’ is from the Hebrew acaph, and it carries the idea of gathering together, as a bird would gather her young, or see you it is used in Judges 20:11.

Judges 20:11 “So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.” KJV

And this is how God says He will take us up. Gathered. Knit together with God. He’s going to make sure nothing rips His child away.

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” NASB

So in those two verses (Isaiah and Psalms) I find such comfort. They both depict the times when the ones who should be accepting us decide for whatever reason to reject us. But neither verse ends with that hopeless conclusion.

Q: In Isaiah 49:15, it says that a mother may forget/forsake her nursing baby. Who will never forget us? Please write your answer as a complete sentence.

Q: At what point is this believer most drawn to the Lord?

I believe, if we believe that God allows rejection for a reason, that could likely always be the reason. That He wants our love and dependence so badly that He would do/allow whatever it takes to get us and our stubborn hearts to that point.

DO: Please write out the last part of those two verses. Do it more than once if you have to. If it is more applicable to you, go ahead and write out the entire verse.

Please understand how greatly God loves you, and how greatly He craves you! If He sees you content, and decides to allow Satan to rip away that which you hold dear, He allows it for a good reason. He allows it so that you will be drawn to further depend on Him, and glorify Him through it. Glorify Him through, in, because, and in spite of. And what greater glory it will be when that praise was born of tough times!

So, by all we know to be true, those in our lives that should accept us (this could be anyone – spouse, father, mother, siblings, church friends, etc.) might reject us because God has a work to do in us!  Is God working in your life in this area today?

Please recognize it as such – lessons more quickly learned often hurt less. Just start leaning on God more – through the hurt, because of the hurt, or even before you get hurt.

He loves you and can’t get enough of you.

Acceptance - 1

Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” NIV

Sometimes it seems intangible. Sometimes it seems alluring. Some spend their lives fighting for it. Some are blessed to have always known it.

Acceptance.

In this segment we will be looking at different facets of acceptance: toward others, others’ acceptance of us (or lack of it), acceptance by God, acceptance of God, and acceptance of His plan and will for us.

I would like for you to spend some time in prayer, asking God to open your mind to areas in your life that need sharpened, matured, mended or healed. Maybe they’re hidden; maybe they are obvious, bleeding, raw. Maybe there are some from both categories.

Please read our text Romans 15:1-13 and let’s dig in.

Zoom in on verses 2-3:

Romans 15:2-3 “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” NKJV

Christ took all our reproaches – the ones we lash on each other, the ones we earned when we sinned and acted apart from God’s commandment, causing our rejection and lack of Holy acceptance – that is, without intervention.

Read Psalm 69:9-12

And He knew this was coming because of us, and loved, gave, died anyway.

Psalm 69:11 “I wore sackcloth as my clothing,and I was a joke to them.” HCSB

Q:  From Psalm 69:11-12 Christ humbled Himself for us, and how did we respond?

Sheer ridicule.

How could we? How dare we?

And we who did this to Him – yes, willingly – He accepts us. Chose us. Loves us.

What I’d love for you to notice in this is that He is our example.

1 John 2:6 “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” NIV

 1 Peter 2:21 “For you were called to this,because Christ also suffered for you,leaving you an example,so that you should follow in His steps.” HCSB emphasis mine

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” NKJV

Philippians 2:5 “Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus” HCSB

I would like to encourage you this: there has never been or ever will be any hurt greater than that which Christ took because of us. And we have His example to follow – so it is time to lay aside our pride and realize that even if we’ve been hurt, we too can forgive, as Christ forgave us.

Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” NKJV

Only after that forgiveness and by following His example of pure grace can we even begin to practice acceptance toward one another. Even toward those who do not accept us.

Turn back to our text in Romans 15.

Romans 15:1 “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” NIV

And we are commanded to accept one another.

Romans 15:7 “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted [a]us to the glory of God.”  NASB

Only through God will we ever be able to do this.

Whenever we see a ‘therefore’ in a text, we ought to look at the preceding verses. So glance back at verses 5-6.

Romans 15:5 “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,” NASB

The ESB says it this way “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.”

And here’s why:

Romans 15:6 “so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” NIV

It brings Him glory. This. This is how He wants His children to behave. This is how He wants His ambassadors and representatives to act.

DO: In your journal, take the time to write out Romans 15:5-7. I believe there is such value in physically writing it out.

DO: Now take a highlighter or a different color pen and highlight important words – such as God’s character (we are, after all, to follow His example) and our commands.

Q: What were the characteristics you pulled out?

Q: Do you believe that the characteristics you underlined or circled in verse 5 give us a clue as to how to live in harmony? Why or why not?

Do not be discouraged. Be encouraged. God will enable you to act as He desires. Surrender to His control and enjoy the harmony He brings.

The Painful Lesson 9 - Restored at Last

How are you, sister? I’m so glad you’ve stayed with me on this journey. It’s an important one.

We pick up today again in Jeremiah chapter 30. I’d like you to read it again. Again these are words written to Israel, but we, the Bride of Christ have plenty we can apply here. Because God is unchanging, bless Him, and His heart is the same heart that beat for Israel that is beating today for us.

Are you ready?

In Jeremiah 30:14 it says all your lovers – all those things you ran into the arms of instead of your Groom, your loving God – they have left. You are beginning to recognize what is faithfulness and what is not. They most definitely were not. And your Groom most definitely is. He is so faithful.

No one else still cares for you (30:17) but God still cares, and He will bring you honor.

Honor? Really? I’d be okay with just being accepted again after cheating on Him. But honored? By God Himself?

I feel so unworthy.

Claimed. Covenant repeated.

Jeremiah 30:22 “You will be My people and I will be your God.” NLT

His planned punishment is fulfilled and His anger appeased.

Blessings even in a barren land.

Is that just wonderful or what? Feeling in a dry place a lot of the time, there are blessing we can count on even then.

Believer, why? Why all this? Here's why:

Jeremiah 31:3-4 “Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
    With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
    You will again be happy
    and dance merrily with your tambourines.” NLT

I. My. Circle those. Or draw a heart around them. It’s okay if you haven’t drawn hearts since your high school crush. Or first love. Do it – because we are that first love, and He is ours. And He’s drawing us close.

You will again be happy.

Read through 31:1-14 Do you feel the joy? The celebration?

This is it. This is what it’s all about. Our Holy Bridegroom wants to rejoice over us, but he needs to be holy and able to. This Bride has emerged from a dark punishment to a beautiful, radian, joyful bride. Tears of joy. All sorrow gone.

This is the great exchange. Sorrow for rejoicing. True repentance brings this kind of joy and restoration.

Jeremiah 31:18 “I have heard Israel saying,
‘You disciplined me severely,
    like a calf that needs training for the yoke.
Turn me again to you and restore me,
    for you alone are the Lord my God.” NLT

No longer groaning, “Why, God?”, but acknowledging it.

Jeremiah 31:20 ““Is not Israel still my son,
    my darling child?” says the Lord.
“I often have to punish him,
    but I still love him.
That’s why I long for him
    and surely will have mercy on him.” NLT

Punishment because of love.

And, the call to learn your lesson. Let’s camp here for a minute.

Jeremiah 31:21a “Set up road signs;
    put up guideposts.
Mark well the path
    by which you came…” NLT

Set up roadsigns. Learn from your mistakes. Put up big warning “Do Not Enter” signs – I don’t know about you but I always (yes, always. I may be a bit overimaginative at times) shudder when I see those “Do Not Enter” signs while driving. I imagine the worst possible scenario, often ending in death, should I space off and drive there anyway.

But shouldn’t we? It does end in death. These things we are to set up waymarks and roadsigns for.

Romans 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” NIV

You have been there – you want to mark the way so it was worth the pain, and you don’t return there again. Learn your lesson.

I find it interesting that when the people returned to Israel, they re-learned the language. They renounced the language of the world at the time, and so even their words set them apart as God’s people. source

Just as deliberately as God destroyed them, He built them up again.

Jeremiah 32:42 “This is what the Lord says: Just as I have brought all these calamities on them, so I will do all the good I have promised them.” NLT

We are not too far gone! (Jer 32:17) He is not going to reject us because we are too bad. He would no sooner reject us completely tan He would drop the earth out of orbit. (31:36-44) He is faithful. We have broken the covenant and He has loved us anyway. (31:32) He is faithful. And He writes the covenant deep. Deeper. Deep on our hearts.

I will be their God.

They will be my people. (32:38)

We are not too far gone!

Jeremiah 32:17 “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” NLT emphasis mine

Not only has He promised to bring us back, but He also gives us peace and safety. We are His people. He is our God. No Matter What!

And for our own good, He also gives us purpose. One purpose. And that is to worship Him. Forever. For this is an everlasting covenant. He will never stop doing good to us. It brings Him such joy.

Jeremiah 32:38-41 “They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 41 I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.”

They will never leave (40) – we will never leave – because of what He has put in our hearts.

Finish up by reading Jeremiah 33.

Notice verses 6-9, and notice all the uses of “I will”.

Let us tremble with awe at all He has done for us.

Once more there will be he sounds of joy and laughter – this is God’s restoration – the joy from brides and bridegrooms (and of His Bride, yes?) along with the praise of our Lord.

Jeremiah 33:11 “the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing,
‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    for the Lord is good.
    His faithful love endures forever!’
For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the Lord.” NLT

It wasn’t really rejection in the sense we think of it – our view of relationship is so finite. God is the only Faithful One with Whom rejection is not forever. When someone on earth rejects us, we move on, don’t we? Eventually. Not so with God.

So faithful. Are you noticing a theme here? I am. In the study of the Bride of Christ I don’t know what I expected to find, but this I know for certain – we have a faithful Groom.

God is faithful.

What are you giving thanks for today? The Lord is good. Let us tremble with awe.

His faithfulness endures forever.

                                         and ever

                                                 and happily ever after.

The Painful Lesson 1 - How Faithful is Faithful?

Sometimes the Bride can get spoiled. Yes? Anybody known (or been… gulp) a bride that the bridal party just wants to smack and say “just look at you! Listen to yourself. You are that Bridezilla.” Or a wife who is flirting with infidelity and you just want to scream at her “You don’t realize how good you’ve got it! Don’t throw this away! Don’t throw him away!”

She tries to have both. She doesn’t really think her behavior will hurt her marriage. It is just coffee. We’re just friends. My husband will understand- he loves me.

Read Jeremiah 7. (Start there. If you can’t stop, by all means go ahead and keep reading. We will be pulling from chapters 7-33 in the next several sessions. And, Dear One, read however much you want to. In preparation for today’s study, I couldn’t stop either.)

Lets hone in on verse 24.

24 “But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward.” NLT

There is no keeping one foot on both sides of the fence. It is either helping your relationship with God is it is harming it. He is your Groom. How faithful are you going to be?

So have you been flirting around?

Before you say a quick, defensive “no, of course not!” consider this.

Has your time in God’s Word given way to an extra push of the snooze button?

Has your conversation slowly morphed into that which would not be honoring to God?

Are you wholeheartedly praising Him with your words, actions and thoughts?

I think we all hold a measure of guilt in one or more ways.

So now that we've got that cleared up, and are through pointing fingers to someone else, let’s work on ourselves, fellow Brides.

The passages we will be looking at from Jeremiah are written to Israel before and during their exile to Babylon (see Daniel 1 if you are unfamiliar with the story.) What I want you to do is put yourself in Israel’s place throughout this entire session so you can apply the spirit of what is being said.

God offers a warning. Keeping up appearances isn't enough. God is not fooled, and it hurts Him deeply, as well as those who care about you.

Read Jeremiah 8:18-22. Jeremiah is speaking, and says

18 “My grief is beyond healing;    my heart is broken.” NLT

So if it hurts an onlooker that badly, imagine how deeply it hurts the One being cheated on. Yes, God.

21 “I hurt with the hurt of my people.    I mourn and am overcome with grief.”  NLT

But you want hear the part that gets me the most?

The Bride has no shame whatsoever. She doesn't even feel embarrassed. (Jeremiah 6:15 and 8:12)

I am going to close here today. What I would like for you to do is prayerfully consider where you are at today. What is the status of your relationship with your Prince?

Are you being faithful to your Groom? And how faithful?

Hebrews 10:22 “Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.” NLT

The Unfaithful Bride

Jeremiah 2:32

“A young woman can’t forget her jewelry or a bride her veils.

    Yet, my people have forgotten me for countless days.” NOG

Read Jeremiah 2

Remember how you used to be?

Anybody ever said those words, or something similar? Sometimes that can be the most painful thing about a tough relationship; looking back on days when it was better, easier. When there was more love.

(Why is it we all want love so badly anyway? Perhaps because our souls are pre-wired to be incomplete without God, and God is love (I Jn 4:8). Just a thought.)

Is this ringing familiar to anyone? It hits especially close to home for me.

Now let’s take a closer look at our text. Jeremiah 2. Who is speaking here? And who is being addressed? It is God speaking to His beloved people.

Read Jeremiah 2:1-2

Jeremiah 2:2b “I remember how eager you were to please me    as a young bride long ago,how you loved me and followed me    even through the barren wilderness.” NLT

Even through the barren wilderness. No matter what.

Then, as only God can, He asks a rhetorical question- see verse 5.

“What did you find wrong with me?”

Something caused them to stray, and God is asking them to identify what it is. So often we find ourselves in a place we don’t like, full of hurt or disappointment and we look and ask God “why?” and wonder why He let us down. Conciously or not, we often blame God when we feel separated from Him.

Are you feeling me?

“What did you find wrong with me?”

Let’s read this next segment replacing ‘they’ with ‘you’. See if it hits your heart a little deeper like it did mine.

Jeremiah 2:3-13

 You worshipped idols and thus made yourselves worthless.You did not recognize My Hand that delivered you.You trashed what good things I gave you.You ignored me even in your Bible study.

Is this breaking your heart? It is mine.

Because we’ve all done it.

The unfaithful bride has no excuse.

Romans 1:20-2520 “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” NLT

Be appalled.

Read Jeremiah 2:23-25

God wants us to look square-on at what we’ve done: You’ve made yourself cheap.

God cries out to His beloved,

“When will you stop running?”

He has not given up on you. He IS still waiting, even when you have given up on yourself.

Do not fool yourself, sister. God IS hurt when we act this way.

Read 27-28

He recognizes the way we turn our back on Him until things get bad. Do you see it? The hurt in His Holy voice in verse 28?
“Why not call on these gods you have made?”

Because, dear sisters, in our heart of hearts, no matter now deeply we have given up on God, we know He is the only real answer.

When we have given up on God it is exactly that- (verse 29) we are the ones who are quitting. God never failed- we did.

Read verses 29-36

God says even an experienced prostitute could learn from this behavior.

This is serious.

And there are serious consequenses. (verse 37)

Always.

Because whether or not we realize it, God is faithful.

I think of no better way to close than with God’s own question:

“How long will you keep running?”