Do You Feel Accepted or Rejected?
I went to bed, pulled the covers over my head, and had a big ole pity party. Once again, I had been rejected…come in second place…told I wasn’t quite what “they” were looking for. The scarlet letter loomed large. It wasn’t an A like Hester Prynne’s in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book I had read in high school, but a big fat R that I chose to wear when life turned ugly.
There was a woman in the Bible who understood rejection too. You probably know her as “the woman with the issue of blood.” She was defined by what was wrong with her rather than what was right. Perhaps you’ve felt that way a time or two in your life—defined by what’s wrong with you, at least in your own mind.
Mark 5:25-32 tells her story and lets us know that she had been suffering for 12 years. During that time, she had been rejected by her family and friends, and drained financially and physically.
What woman among us hasn’t felt the wretchedness of rejection and the humility of hopelessness? What woman among us hasn’t felt she was less than because of certain circumstances in her life? What woman hasn’t wondered; Would God even care about the likes of me? She felt all that and more.
In Biblical days, certain situations and conditions rendered a person ceremonially unclean. A woman was considered unclean during her monthly cycle. That means she was untouchable. Let that sink in for a moment.
Sometimes we can feel the same. Abandoned by friends. Deserted by a spouse. Forgotten by family. Unseen by society. But she was not forgotten. She was not alone. This daughter of Abraham was close to God’s heart and foremost on His mind. So, God the Father orchestrated His Son’s journey to pass her way.
The woman broke all the rules when she heard Jesus was coming. She pressed through the crowd and reached for the hem of His garment. Immediately, she was healed. She felt it. The power left Jesus. He knew it.
“But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at His feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (Mark 5:32-34 NIV).
Sometimes one single word in Scripture speaks volumes. Daughter. That was a term of endearment she would not easily forget. No matter what you’ve been through, or what you will go through in the future, hang on to this truth: You are God’s daughter whom He loves.
Mark 5:25-32 reminds us just how much God values and esteems His female image bearers. He singled out one lone woman from a crowd of curiosity seekers, healed her physically and spiritually, and then placed her center stage to tell about it during a time in history when women weren’t even allowed to testify in court or speak to men in public.
When we feel rejected by the world, we can remember that we have been selected by God. You have been chosen…handpicked…never less than.
Lord, I know that rejection is just part of life. When I feel second best, help me remember that I am the apple of Your eye, and that’s all that really matters. My significance is found in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Look back up at today’s graphic at the top of the page. Which one of the affirmations in the list mean the most to you? Leave a comment and let’s share. I’ll randomly pick one comment and send a FREE copy of Never Less Than!
Digging Deeper
Doesn’t it just warm you heart to see how Jesus honored women in a culture that considered them property. In a time when women weren’t allowed to speak to men in public, sit with men in the synagogue, testify in court, or sit under a rabbi’s teaching, Jesus crossed right over those cultural boundaries to honor and esteem women as co-image bearers of God. Want to learn more about how Jesus, the God-made-man broke the man-made rules to set women free…to set you free? Then this book is for you! Never Less Than: Living Empowered, Esteemed, and Equipped When the World Tells You Otherwise.
This would be GREAT for your next women’s Bible study!!!
