But You Said, "No"
“For so says the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, In returning and rest you shall be saved; and in quietness and hope shall be your strength. And you were not willing. But you said, No; for we will flee on a horse. Therefore you shall flee. And you said, We will ride on the swift; therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.” Isaiah 30:15, 16 (MKJV)
One of the most difficult things to deal with is rejection—whether it’s over a business project, a thesis proposal, an entry for some competition, or especially when it is regarding a relationship, whether a rejection at the onset of asking a date, or a rejection at the proposal of marriage. Rejection is an integral part of the human experience. We hate to be rejected.
Imagine, for a moment, how God feels. God calls upon us to return to Him, to rest, and to be saved, offering quietness and hope as strength.
Never before has a proposition been so simple and risk-free. Every day, God begs us to give our problems to Him, to give Him the stresses we cannot manage, and to allow Him to remove the mental, emotional, and spiritual burdens that we have tied on our backs. His plea is that we surrender to Him the things we know are bad for us anyway. His offer is to give rest from the chaos of the world around us. He spreads before us the gift of salvation. He offers full, complete deliverance. “Give me your burdens, and I will give you strength,” He cries. But we say, “No.”
Who in their right mind would reject such an offer? You would. And so would I. We do every day. We refuse because we think that we’re really going to be missing something. Perhaps we secretly enjoy the troubles we face. Maybe we like to struggle and lose. Then, at least, we can feel more pity for ourselves. Why else would we reject the offer love extends? It could be that we’re more than happy to give up some of the things in our lives, but our most beloved, darling sins are too dear to us. Perhaps, yesterday, you heard God say to you, return to me, rest, and be saved. Find strength in Me through quietness and hope.” But you said, “No.” Again, today, God asks youagain. Now what do you say?