March 17 | Faithful Through Rejection

Today’s reading from Deuteronomy 30–31 and Mark 15 invites us to reflect on how faithfulness to God often unfolds in moments where obedience and rejection intersect. Both passages reveal the tension between choosing God’s ways and facing the realities that follow.In Deuteronomy, Moses calls Israel to choose life by loving and obeying the LORD. Standing on the edge of the Promised Land, the people are reminded that their future will be shaped by whether they remain faithful to the covenant God has set before them. The passage emphasizes that obedience is notmerely a rule to follow, but a way of life that forms a people who belong to God.In Mark 15, Jesus stands before Pilate as accusations and pressure from the crowd grow louder. Although His innocence is clear, the crowd chooses Barabbas and calls for Jesus to be crucified. The scene reveals how easily truth can be rejected when it challenges the expectations or interests of thosein power.Together, these passages invite us to consider how obedience to God often requires courage when acceptance is uncertain. They remind us that faithfulness is not measured by public approval but by the steady willingness to follow God even when rejection appears along the way.