“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth” (Isa. 54:4)
Jesus, thank you for the heart-healing truths of the Scriptures, especially where shame lingers. The eradication of all shame is one of the things we most look forward to when you return. That’s certainly true for me. Never again will we feel dis-graced, only fully-graced.
Never again will we hide in plain sight, because of the wounds that took our voices, hearts, and dignity. There won’t be any desire to cover up, look down, or run away. Hallelujah, “Everyone who believes in him (Jesus) will never be put to shame”—today, tomorrow, or forever (Rom. 10:11).
How can we be certain? Because, on the cross, you bore the full weight of our guilt and shattered the power of our shame. And now, you neither despise our weaknesses nor spurn our brokenness. You don’t turn away from us when we feel fractured or fragile, too self-aware or easily condemned.
In fact, the opposite is true. You’ve clothed us with the garments of grace and the perfection of your righteousness. You now delight in us with a love beyond measure and a joy beyond our imagining. Why do we struggle to believe this is true? Lord Jesus, you never lie or exaggerate. Help us. Free us.
As we wait for the Day of complete healing, may the Spirit’s ongoing testimony to our beloved-ness drown out all other grace-less voices and contemptuous noise. And may we only speak life and grace to one another. So Very Amen, we pray.