Jephthah was the illegitimate son of a man called Gilead. His mother was a prostitute. He grew up in the household of Gilead’s other legitimate sons who later chased him away. ‘“You will not get any of our father’s inheritance,” they said’ (Judges 11:2 NLT). So he ended up living in a cave. While he was there, he took a band of misfits and rebels and developed them into a great army. When the Ammonites threatened Israel, the elders turned to him for help. ‘But Jephthah said to them: “Aren’t you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now when you’re in trouble?” “Because we need you,” the elders replied. “If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead”’ (vv.7-8 NLT). Not only did Jephthah lead them to victory, he’s named with honour in the Bible along with people like Abraham, Moses, and David. His life is full of lessons. Here’s an important one: God can use rejection and turn it into something good. Jephthah was rejected for reasons beyond his control – he was illegitimate. But instead of growing bitter, he moved on and did something good with his life. When we’ve been rejected for any reason, it’s natural to feel upset. But we also need to invite God into our situation and tell Him how we’re feeling, so the pain doesn’t turn to bitterness. By God’s grace Jephthah took an ugly situation and turned it into a beautiful one. And when we turn our situations over to God, the same grace is available to us, and He’ll bring beauty out of our brokenness.

What Now?

Think about any times in your life when you were rejected. Are you still holding on to any pain or bitterness? If you are, hand those feelings over to God today, and ask Him to transform it into something good.