Psalm 139:1-16

The Fight of Your Life

If you live for people’s acceptance, you will die by their rejection.

Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men   Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”   1 Samuel 17:28

And David said, “What have I done now. Was it not but a word   And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before.   1 Samuel 17:29,30

Rejected people reject people.

  In order to win the fight with rejection, we must accept the acceptance of God.

  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

How do we accept God’s acceptance?

We accept the miracle of our creation.

  For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13,14

Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well   Wonderful are your works;     my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,     intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Psalm 139:14,15

  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:16

We accept the truth that God chose us.

  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. Ephesians 1:3,4

  In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:4-6

  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight Ephesians 1:7,8

  making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. Ephesians 1:9,10

We accept the cost of our acceptance by God.

  For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—  Romans 5:6,7

  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.   Romans 5:8

You are worth Jesus to God.

We live from acceptance not for it.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth   O Lord, our Lord,     how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. Psalm 8:1,2

  When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him,     and the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3,4

  Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings     and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;     you have put all things under his feet, Psalm 8:5,6

  all sheep and oxen,     and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,     whatever passes along the paths of the seas. Psalm 8:7,8

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:9

When we accept God’s acceptance, we win our fight against rejection.