Do you believe that hearts can break? We hear about it all the time, and tv shows and movies have made it seem so dramatic. But is heartbreak a reality? I honestly believe that the answer is yes. Not because of all the scientific research that seems to exist about it, but simply because I know what heartbreak feels like. I know that sounds so very overly dramatic, but heartbreak is simply defined as “overwhelming distress”. With this in mind, we know that hearts can break for several reasons. Grief, broken promises, unmet expectations; just about anything.
One form of heartbreak I know we all have unfortunately dealt with at least once is that which comes with rejection. Rejection, much like heartbreak comes in several forms. Rejection from love is unfortunately very prominent. About a year ago I found myself being heartbroken from rejection. Sitting at the crossroads of devastation and anger, I didn’t know what to do. The emotions were just too overwhelming. I listened to every sad song, which was quickly followed by the angry playlist. And at some point, after reading every quote on Pinterest, I had a thought. “Does God care about this? Like, I know He is the God of all, but does my heartbreak matter to Him? Does He care that I’ve been broken in this way?” These questions prompted me to do what I always do when trying to seek an answer; I went to YouTube to find a sermon. I found a few that really got me to feel better. But there was one message in particular that really got me to think about rejection differently.
The Sister We Don’t Talk About
Her name was Leah. She was the elder of the two daughters of Laban. If we are being honest, she was not the more beautiful, nor was she the more desired. You see, by the time Jacob entered the picture, we see that he was head over heels for Rachel, Leah’s little sister. He asked her father for her hand in marriage and he agreed, if Jacob was willing to work 7 years for her. However, on the wedding day, things took a turn.
Laban, in following the Jewish tradition of marrying off the elder daughter before the younger, dressed up Leah for the wedding with Jacob being none the wiser until after the marriage had been consummated. What a mess!!! When Jacob found out, he was, as you can imagine, not happy. But because he had already married Leah, he had to keep her. Sadly, she was like the wrong flavor of ice-cream from the grocery store you chose to keep because you paid for it. After 7 more years, he married Rachel as well, and now he had two wives. But he only really loved one. I can’t imagine being Leah and living in that constant state of rejection every day.
What would you do for love?
All Leah wanted was for Jacob to love her. And that is evident all throughout her story. The Bible says that God started to bless Leah with children. So, when she started to have his children she declared over their life that this would make Jacob love her. Sounds kinda crazy, but what have you ever done to gain love and combat rejection?
When she had her first three sons in Genesis 29, she made it clear that she was hoping these children would help her husband love her. Unfortunately, the situation didn’t change much for Leah, because at the end of the day, he was madly in love with her sister. Have you ever been in a position where no matter what you seem to do, nothing quenches your heartbreak? The feeling of grasping at straws makes you feel just so hopeless, and you start to look at the situation as futile and saddening.
The Prize in Rejection
When Leah was on her fourth child, she made a declaration after his birth too, but this time it was different. After the birth of her fourth child, Leah declared “Now I will praise the Lord”. Now, I know what you’re thinking. There is nothing special in the words Leah stated. And you’re right. The prize was not in the declaration. The prize was in the child himself.
All Leah’s children, being the children of Israel were a blessing. But the fourth child was extra special. His name was Judah. And he turned out to be the child of Israel through which the line of Jesus would emerge. Jesus is called the “Lion of Judah” because he quite literally came from the line of Judah (Matthew 1). And Judah is Leah’s child; the same rejected Leah.
You see, in the midst of the rejection, Leah couldn’t see that God had a plan for her life and her lineage. In the midst of your rejection, you might not be able to see either. Heartbreak, as we mentioned, is overwhelming. And in the midst of being overwhelmed, no one is looking at God’s plans for their life. But the state of your heart does not change the plans of God’s heart. We need to start saying to God “when I’m feeling so overwhelmed with heartbreak, lead me to You, the one that is higher than me”.
God cares about your heart!
You see, if Leah could know what we know, she would see that God was going to use her to help bring forth Jesus, the Saviour of the World. He was always with her, directing her life even in the midst of her pain. What if we realized that God was always close to us, even when we are broken-hearted? He’s holding us. He’s drying our tears. He’s telling us, “Cry to me; I see, I know, and I care. I care about your heart.” Don’t ever believe that your heartbreak isn’t important to God, no matter what your heart may be breaking from. Afterall, He is the friend of wounded hearts.
Thank you for reading. Until next Friday, be blessed and be comforted.
ThreeSixteen Ministries 