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“Instead of Shame”
By Susanne Scheppmann
Key
Verse:
“Instead
of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double
portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.” (Isaiah 61:7
NIV)
Devotion:
I
turned and walked away from God in anger and disappointment. I tossed away the
calling of ministry on my life. In my own perception, the Lord had hurt my
feelings. So, I left my faith to find a fresh path.
This
happened during my twenties. With two toddlers climbing up my legs during the
day and crying intermittently during the night, I was physically exhausted.
Emotional turmoil began to disintegrate my marriage. My immature faith lacked
the stamina to hold to God tightly. So, for seven years I wandered through sin,
divorce, and miserable meanderings of my own making. It was a time of spiritual
drought—the years of shame.
Although
I walked away from God, He did not walk away from me. The Lord allowed me to
experience life in the wilderness of doubt, but He was right there watching
over me and waiting for me to return to the call of ministry placed on my life
at age eighteen.
Eventually,
I allowed myself to feel His presence in my life. Little by little, the Lord
Jesus wooed me back to Himself. I remember the exact time and place that I felt
Him whisper to my spirit, “Let’s start over and do it right this time”. I wept
with relief and joy. I began to study the Bible and allowed it change my
damaged spiritual heart. This time it wasn’t going to be head knowledge, but
heart knowledge.
My
faith was back on track, but I did not think my calling to ministry could ever
be restored. Hadn’t I traveled too far off the godly path? Surely, God didn’t
want me anymore in service to His Kingdom. Surely, He had more qualified
daughters that could minister to others without the shame of my own sullied
past.
However,
that is not how God thinks at all. The Bible says, “For God's gifts and his
call are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). The Lord desires for us to move past the
shame of past mistakes and into His calling for our lives. He will restore us
to useful service in the Kingdom. It takes time and it is a process, but the
Almighty God still has a plan for each of our lives. He intends to replace
disgrace with rejoicing, so that we may show our world that we are living
miracles.
Do
I hear an, “Amen”?
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for having mercy on me.
Display Your will for my life. Enable me to fulfill the gifts and call in my
life, so that others will understand your grace and mighty power. In Jesus’
Name, Amen.
Application
steps:
Consider the years of your life you feel might have
been wasted. Reread and memorize Isaiah 61:7, our today’s key verse. Cast away
your shame and look for your double portion of inheritance. Rejoice in God’s
mercy and grace.
Reflections:
Do
I feel I have lost my chance to use my spiritual gifts?
How
can I begin to use my spiritual gifts to display God’s mercy in my life?
Power
verses:
Joel 2:26, “You will have plenty to eat, until
you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked
wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.” (NIV)
Psalm
36:5, “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the
skies.” (NIV)
Romans 11:29-30, “For God's gifts and his call
are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now
received mercy as a result of their disobedience.” (NIV)
© 2010 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
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