“Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, ‘Now I will praise the Lord!’” Genesis 29:35 (NLT)

One of the most painful places to face rejection is inside your own home. Some parents favor one child and ignore the other. Some marriages become distant and cold because of incompatibility. Some in-laws dislike their daughter-in-law or son-in-law. And sometimes, a person is rejected and hated without any reason at all. When that happens, life feels heavy, lonely, and unfair. But no matter the wound, the Bible always carries an answer.

I once knew a family where the husband was forced into marrying a woman he did not love. His heart was already given to someone else, but his parents emotionally pressured him because the woman they chose came from a wealthy background. He sacrificed his love and obeyed. But shortly after the marriage, the woman’s family lost everything. The very reason she was chosen fell apart. She was already unloved, and now she became a target for blame and humiliation.

Yet she bore him two beautiful children. Even then, I never once saw him proudly acknowledge her, take her out, or show affection. The children watched their father’s treatment and repeated it—speaking harshly, showing no respect, and wanting nothing to do with their mother in public or even at school meetings. Her husband, her children, and her in-laws mocked her. Still, she remained quiet, gentle, and patient, enduring everything with a smile.

Many years later, her husband fell critically ill, and she was the one who cared for him faithfully. Her service softened his heart. The woman once treated like nothing became respected, valued, and finally loved—not because people changed, but because she remained steadfast when everything inside her had reason to break.

This reminds me of Leah in the Bible. Jacob loved Rachel—not Leah. Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, but was deceived by Laban and married Leah first. Later, after another seven years of labor, he finally married Rachel. Leah entered a marriage where she was not wanted, yet she longed deeply for Jacob’s affection. Every time she gave birth, she hoped love would follow.

When her first son was born, she named him Reuben, saying the Lord had seen her misery and surely now her husband would love her. When her second son came, she named him Simeon, believing that God heard she was unloved and answered. Then she bore Levi, hoping that this time Jacob would finally feel affection for her. But nothing changed. Time after time she hoped, waited, and longed for attention that never came.

Then something shifted inside of her. Instead of chasing love from a human heart, she turned her eyes toward God. She stopped waiting for Jacob to affirm her and started praising the Lord. When her fourth son was born, she named him Judah and declared, “Now, I will praise the Lord.”

Out of that moment of surrender and praise came greatness. Judah became the lineage through which kings were born. And generations later, Jesus—the Savior—came from the line of the woman who once lived in rejection.

God sees every tear you cry in silence. He hears the prayers you never say out loud. He knows the pain others overlook or even cause. But just like Leah, when you stop looking to people for validation and turn your heart toward God, something begins to shift. The same people who ignored or rejected you will one day witness the work of God in your life.

So let praise remain on your lips. You may feel unseen today, but God is writing a story where pain is transformed into purpose. From your rejection, God will birth something great.

Prayer:

Lord, help me turn my eyes away from the desire for human approval and teach me to find my worth in You alone. Heal every wound caused by rejection and replace it with Your peace and strength. Help me praise You in every season, and bring beauty from my pain. In Jesus’ name, amen.