Friend, are you carrying any shame or reproach from your past, maybe from your youth? Is it about failure as a parent or as a spouse? Is it in some other area of your life? Does the recent past bring up memories of being humiliated and disgraced? Be encouraged however, because our God has the amazing ability to restore us from our shame and failures when we turn to Him with our whole heart!
Vandals bring shame to ancient frescoes
One of the historical wonders of my country Sri Lanka is the complex rock fortress, Sigiriya, and the palace built on it by one of our former kings, Kasyapa, in the 5th Century. It is an amazing place to see and tourists flock there to view its beauty, grandeur and craftsmanship. Among the highlights of Sigiriya are the frescoes that are painted on the rock walls. These and the site itself are considered national treasures, with UNESCO listing Sigiriya as a world heritage site.
However, many years ago, some of these frescoes were vandalized by an unknown group of people, with either ink or paint being thrown to deface them. As a result, many experts had to be brought in to restore these frescoes back to their original state. Thankfully, they succeeded in most of their painstaking restoration efforts.
God speaks restoration to disgrace
Isaiah 54 speaks about God’s restoration to a barren, widowed lady (symbolic of the nation of Israel), who had possibly been rejected by her husband (54:6). In that time and culture, being barren, widowed and rejected, marked her for humiliation and shame, besides making her extremely vulnerable.
God however speaks restoration into her shame and disgrace as Isaiah 54:4 says, “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood”. Also in Isaiah 54:17, God says, “you will refute every tongue that accuses you…”.
I have always loved music and singing. (This I believe led me into a career in radio broadcasting). When Jesus gloriously saved me, one of the first things I wanted to do therefore was to join the church choir and sing for His glory. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that I couldn’t sing too well! In fact, I had a difficulty with pitching musical notes correctly.
When I joined the choir, I was singing off pitch and disorienting the rest of the group! As a result, after a while, it seemed like I would have to step down from the choir. This would have been a severe setback and caused much shame for me as a young person. But, Isaish 54.4 says, “You will forget the shame of your youth.”
God helps us to forget our shame
Thanks to my choir director, three members of the choir and most of all, God’s help, I managed to overcome this problem. I later became a worship leader in my church and even sang harmony! Later, over a period of many years, I have been involved in many ministry areas, but the one that I served most closely in is… like to take a guess? It’s worship!
God delights to restore us from our shame. Will you allow Him to do so?
“No one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame…” (Psalm 25:3)
Prayer: Lord, I ask you today to be the Lord over every area of my life and to restore me from all shame and disgrace. I know you can do it as I ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
