God cares for those who feel rejected or excluded. Just as God gathered the exiled Israelites and restored their homes, He sees our wounds, our loneliness, and our social struggles. Even when we feel abandoned, God works to bring us belonging, comfort, and healing. In Christ, we are adopted into His eternal family, fully accepted and loved.

Highlights


God Sees Our Pain: He notices every wound, rejection, and injustice we face.


God Acts in His Timing: Healing, comfort, and restoration may come through people, circumstances, or His Spirit.


He Restores and Rebuilds: Like the Israelites returning from Babylon, God can restore what feels lost or broken.


Belonging in Christ: Through faith, we are adopted into God’s family, giving us eternal security and acceptance.


Hope Amid Rejection: Even in a world of brokenness, God leads us to people and places where we can experience care, support, and community.

This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org

TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org

Full Transcript Below:

God’s Heart for the Outcasts
By: Jennifer Slattery

Bible Reading:
The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel. - Psalm 147:2

I suspect most anyone who survived elementary and middle school resonate with today’s verse. We’ve probably all found ourselves on the outside of some social circle wishing for a way in. When I was in fifth grade, I somehow finagled a tentative connection with the in crowd but soon got pushed out. This was also the year my inability to care for my naturally curly hair earned me the nickname “fro” and I became the brunt of jokes made by some of my male classmates. 

Feeling humiliated and alone, I began spending my recesses inside. 

Have you been there? Such experiences prick at our needs for acceptance and belonging. This is why these types of wounds can cut so deeply. 

It hurts even more to fear we’ve been rejected by God Himself. This was likely how the ancient Israelites living during the Babylonian captivity felt. After centuries of rebellion, the Lord’s persistent pleas that they return to Him, His warnings finally became reality. God honored His people’s desire for autonomy, lifted His protective hand, and allowed their enemies to invade their land. 

Although He assured them that His love remained—unconditionally and eternally (Jer. 31:3; Isa. 43:1-4), they felt abandoned and forsaken. Rejected by the One their souls needed most and forced to live as foreigners in a pagan land.

But God hadn’t forgotten them. Through it all, He remained their faithful and attentive defender and provider. He even blessed them in their new land and encouraged them to enjoy their new lives in Babylon. Then, when it came time for their prophesied year of release, He fulfilled His promise recorded in Deuteronomy 30:3-4, which reads: “Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.”

During the period of Ezra and Nehemiah, He brought those who wanted to return home and enabled them to rebuild their city and restore their Temple, the center of their worship and their social life. The place in which they experienced a profound sense of belonging.

Intersecting Life & Faith:

While most of us will never find ourselves physically exiled, we’ve likely felt that way socially—and will again. In those instances, may we draw comfort from today’s verse and what it reveals regarding our Father’s heart. He sees every wound or injustice we suffer, and the insecurity rejection often exacerbates. 

But He doesn’t just “witness” our pain; He does something about it—in His perfect timing. Perhaps He’ll use an unexpected greeting card, phone call or text from a friend or family member to remind you of your inherent value, or will nudge someone in your faith community to sit with you in your sorrow so that you feel less alone. Maybe He’ll encourage you through a devotion you read online, podcast episode you listen to, a song on the radio, or a truth-packed sermon from your pastor. Or maybe He’ll make His presence tangible as He encases you in His love. 

Regardless of how He addresses Your heartache, you can be sure of this: He excels at bringing His outcasts into environments that feel like home. If He can move a pagan Persian ruler named Cyrus to send his Jewish subjects back to Jerusalem—with abundant provisions and enable them to repair the city’s walls, the destroyed Temple, and homes, He can alleviate your pain and bring you figuratively home as well. 

He restored what likely felt irreparable—because nothing is impossible for Him. More than that, in Christ, we always belong. Through faith, our Father felt pleased to adopt us as His beloved children and place us, irrevocably, in His global family, forever bound by the blood of His Son.

I understand this present reality doesn’t eradicate the pain we experience when others treat us poorly. But it does assure us that we’re never truly alone, nor are we destined for isolation. We’ll spend our eternity with Him and the rest of His followers, fully and forever accepted. As we wait for that glorious existence, we can trust Him to lead us to people who’ll accepted us as we are and help us heal from the wounds we experience in our sin-ravished, broken world.  

Further Reading:

Ephesians 1:4-5

John 15:9-16

1 Peter 2:9-10

God cares for those who feel rejected or excluded. Just as God gathered the exiled Israelites and restored their homes, He sees our wounds, our loneliness, and our social struggles. Even when we feel abandoned, God works to bring us belonging, comfort, and healing. In Christ, we are adopted into His eternal family, fully accepted and loved.
Highlights
<ul data-start="609" data-end="1204">
<li data-start="609" data-end="693">
God Sees Our Pain: He notices every wound, rejection, and injustice we face.
</li>
<li data-start="694" data-end="814">
God Acts in His Timing: Healing, comfort, and restoration may come through people, circumstances, or His Spirit.
</li>
<li data-start="815" data-end="935">
He Restores and Rebuilds: Like the Israelites returning from Babylon, God can restore what feels lost or broken.
</li>
<li data-start="936" data-end="1056">
Belonging in Christ: Through faith, we are adopted into God&rsquo;s family, giving us eternal security and acceptance.
</li>
<li data-start="1057" data-end="1204">
Hope Amid Rejection: Even in a world of brokenness, God leads us to people and places where we can experience care, support, and community.
</li>
</ul>
This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. &nbsp;Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | <a href="https://trinitycredit.org/">https://trinitycredit.org</a>
TrinityCredit &ndash; Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. <a href="https://trinitycredit.org/">https://trinitycredit.org</a>
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
God&rsquo;s Heart for the Outcasts By: Jennifer Slattery
Bible Reading: The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel. - Psalm 147:2
I suspect most anyone who survived elementary and middle school resonate with today&rsquo;s verse. We&rsquo;ve probably all found ourselves on the outside of some social circle wishing for a way in. When I was in fifth grade, I somehow finagled a tentative connection with the in crowd but soon got pushed out. This was also the year my inability to care for my naturally curly hair earned me the nickname &ldquo;fro&rdquo; and I became the brunt of jokes made by some of my male classmates.&nbsp;
Feeling humiliated and alone, I began spending my recesses inside.&nbsp;
Have you been there? Such experiences prick at our needs for acceptance and belonging. This is why these types of wounds can cut so deeply.&nbsp;
It hurts even more to fear we&rsquo;ve been rejected by God Himself. This was likely how the ancient Israelites living during the Babylonian captivity felt. After centuries of rebellion, the Lord&rsquo;s persistent pleas that they return to Him, His warnings finally became reality. God honored His people&rsquo;s desire for autonomy, lifted His protective hand, and allowed their enemies to invade their land.&nbsp;
Although He assured them that His love remained&mdash;unconditionally and eternally (Jer. 31:3; Isa. 43:1-4), they felt abandoned and forsaken. Rejected by the One their souls needed most and forced to live as foreigners in a pagan land.
But God hadn&rsquo;t forgotten them. Through it all, He remained their faithful and attentive defender and provider. He even blessed them in their new land and encouraged them to enjoy their new lives in Babylon. Then, when it came time for their prophesied year of release, He fulfilled His promise recorded in Deuteronomy 30:3-4, which reads: &ldquo;Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.&rdquo;
During the period of Ezra and Nehemiah, He brought those who wanted to return home and enabled them to rebuild their city and restore their Temple, the center of their worship and their social life. The place in which they experienced a profound sense of belonging.
Intersecting Life &amp; Faith:
While most of us will never find ourselves physically exiled, we&rsquo;ve likely felt that way socially&mdash;and will again. In those instances, may we draw comfort from today&rsquo;s verse and what it reveals regarding our Father&rsquo;s heart. He sees every wound or injustice we suffer, and the insecurity rejection often exacerbates.&nbsp;
But He doesn&rsquo;t just &ldquo;witness&rdquo; our pain; He does something about it&mdash;in His perfect timing. Perhaps He&rsquo;ll use an unexpected greeting card, phone call or text from a friend or family member to remind you of your inherent value, or will nudge someone in your faith community to sit with you in your sorrow so that you feel less alone. Maybe He&rsquo;ll encourage you through a devotion you read online, podcast episode you listen to, a song on the radio, or a truth-packed sermon from your pastor. Or maybe He&rsquo;ll make His presence tangible as He encases you in His love.&nbsp;
Regardless of how He addresses Your heartache, you can be sure of this: He excels at bringing His outcasts into environments that feel like home. If He can move a pagan Persian ruler named Cyrus to send his Jewish subjects back to Jerusalem&mdash;with abundant provisions and enable them to repair the city&rsquo;s walls, the destroyed Temple, and homes, He can alleviate your pain and bring you figuratively home as well.&nbsp;
He restored what likely felt irreparable&mdash;because nothing is impossible for Him. More than that, in Christ, we always belong. Through faith, our Father felt pleased to adopt us as His beloved children and place us, irrevocably, in His global family, forever bound by the blood of His Son.
I understand this present reality doesn&rsquo;t eradicate the pain we experience when others treat us poorly. But it does assure us that we&rsquo;re never truly alone, nor are we destined for isolation. We&rsquo;ll spend our eternity with Him and the rest of His followers, fully and forever accepted. As we wait for that glorious existence, we can trust Him to lead us to people who&rsquo;ll accepted us as we are and help us heal from the wounds we experience in our sin-ravished, broken world.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Further Reading:
Ephesians 1:4-5
John 15:9-16
1 Peter 2:9-10

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.

Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:

☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It)
☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment
☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life
☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life
☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church
☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer
☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation
☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year

If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.
Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:
☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It) ☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment ☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life ☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life ☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church ☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer ☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation ☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year
If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/">https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.</a>

7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life.

The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

The Crosswalk Devotional

God’s Heart for the Outcasts

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/c379a7f3-d6a8-41d7-beab-b41101051cfc/transcript