Growing up on a farm, we got to experience things about life that were wonderful…and things that were hard. It is a place where hard choices have to be made and a place where wonder and great joy abound. Maybe it sounds contradictory. But such is farm life.

One of the saddest things I saw as a child was rejection. Sometimes a cow or a sow…a cat or a dog would reject its offspring. It was the saddest thing I think I witnessed. I always wondered how that mother could reject their little one. Cows not letting a calf nurse…pushing it away. Or in a litter, one newborn pushed aside…pushed out…not allowed back into the litter.

This was one thing my Pappy hated. In a litter, he would tell me the baby must have something wrong with it. That the mother was protecting the rest of her young. But he had no sympathy for the cow that rejected a calf. None.

There was one cow I remember he sold to be slaughtered. She had rejected 2 calves. He had enough. He was done.

It was rejection. It was painful to see.

Rejection, turning the face away from the person who had been loved, is devastating. When we stop and think about “turning our back” on someone, that is what the phrase is saying. We have removed our love, protection, and care from the person. 

Haven’t you seen someone’s eyes grow hard and cold? Seen them turn their back and walk away? Leave, never to return? Isn’t that heartbreaking?

Hear the Psalmist:

Do not hide Thy face from me, Do not turn your servant away in anger: Thou hast been my help: do not abandon me or forsake me, O God of my salvation! Psalm 27:9

How long, O LORD? Wilt Thou forget me forever? How long wilt Thou hide thy face from me? Psalm 13:1

O LORD, why dost Thou reject my soul? Why dost Thou hide Thy face from me? Psalm 88:14

Hear the blessing God commanded Moses to say to Aaron and his sons to bless Israel:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: 

The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you,

The LORD lift up His countenance on you,

And give you peace. Numbers 6:22-26

How precious. The true and living God who created all things wanted His people to know for certain His intent to bless them…and maybe best of all, “His countenance would be lifted upon them.” He would not turn away His face. He would not turn His back to them. This was the intent of the Father.

So the pain of rejection may find us. But if we are His, we will never know rejection from Him. His face will always be toward us…His eyes filled with love for us.