("Pariah" - go to a dictionary and check out what this word means if you don't know)
Life had become D.O.A.
Life was daily draining in preparation of a conception that would never happen. No joy at the end of a strenuously painful delivery …Twelve long painfully embarrassing years... Doctors had drained all of her resources and yet, she continued to bleed and be drained of life. She was deemed unclean, untouchable, exiled from society, living under the scrutiny of all strangers, friends and loved ones … Literally bleeding to death and walking "as dead" to the rest of humanity. BUT touching the border of His garment from behind brought her from the status of the despised Pariah to a Favored Daughter in the immediate, desperate, virtuous contact of the moment. Luke 8:43-48
Jesus is who we need at any given moment of our lives. It appears though that when all is good He is not needed … But He does not hold that against us. He knows that life has ebb and flow and is stained with growing conflict and increasing frequency of pain. He is the promise and the fulfillment of all things needed, wanted and desired.
For so many reading this … We are either in great need or we will face a great need in the future. That need may or may not distill our mode of life to a D.O.A status, but loneliness and rejection may be the overwhelming emotion ruling our lives; these feelings can cause a paralysis of dreams that creeps in and drags our hope into the mire. This is the point where we want to give up because we are sick of living in pain and can't go on... Reach out to Him, touch the hem, grasp the border, hold the "promise fringe" of His garment, His virtue is there for us.
Psalm 108:8,9 reveals some very important places of life that belong to Him, and we need not bear that time and place as a Pariah{an outcast}.
"Gilead is Mine;"
-- The "rocky places", where life's conflicts collide with the Faithfulness of God - the witness stones are piled from the conflict as a memorial to God's Goodness and we are caused to remember His rescue; this Gilead is His.
"Manasseh is Mine;"
-- Some times we are caused or allowed to "forget", and the breach is forgotten by His desire to heal us; this Manasseh is His.
"Ephraim also is the strength of mine head;"
-- Many times repentance becomes a "double ash heap" as our sorrow is mingled with Calvary's deep acquaintance with our sorrow; trust that the eternal investment brings God's blessing of double fruitfulness; this Ephraim is His.
"Judah is my lawgiver;"
-- When the moment arises for us to "praise", blessed praise is like the shooting out of arrows (with no expectation of return); this Judah is His.
"Moab is my wash pot;"
-- All of us will come to the place of "our father's failings" … Is my "thorn warmed pot for washing". The catastrophic events of a marred character are the places prepared for our cleansing. The thorns, that can choke and hinder our forward, joyful movement, can by Faith's purpose … become the fuel for the fire that warms the water of Word that washes us for usefulness. This Moab is His.
"Over Edom will I cast out my shoe;"
-- Oh, the scar that can be caused by being disowned; the "red" scar is always tender, it can be rubbed or worn even to a deeper bleeding red … As we are told that we have No vested part, No one responsible, no one cares, and/or there is no one related to us to deliver us: He embraces our scar and loves us as His Own. This Edom is His.
"Over Philistia will I triumph."
-- We may become the "sojourners" who have rolled in the ashes and remains of mourning... but He will send the Blast of the trumpet of victory, a Shout of triumph over our wandering. This Philistia is His.
Hear and know, and never be afraid to imagine our God reaching, touching, and holding us in our pain … He aches deeper than we will ever know. As we, so many times, repulse from the very Touch that can heal us …know this: - He does not turn from us just because our pain despises the things of faith. - He never leaves us though we may have turned and walked away. - He never forsakes us even though we forsake Him when healing doesn't happen when we think it should.
All Healing is His -- every rocky place, every forgetfulness, every repentant moment, every praise, every scar, when we are abandoned, and in all of our moments of wondering and wandering … As His children, birthed by His Blood... We are His and He is ours.
Glorify Him with grateful hearts full of imagination of His Love interventions.
We are never a Pariah, but a dear Son or Daughter:
Trust His Love!
HLFA,
Jeff