The Shame of Shame

 

 

“There’s no hope for me.”

“It’s too late for me.”

“God couldn’t possibly love someone like me.”

 

These are words you may have heard or may have said. 

Self  loathing.

Not allowing yourself enough grace to receive grace.

We shame ourselves over the shame of what we know, have done or thought to do in its stark contrast of the perfection of God’s glory that stands so pure and beautiful and good.

We think we don’t deserve or can bear to be in the knowledge of our own evil in the light of His knowing.

We try to hide.

We put up a wall. A covering. Something to block a relationship with others. With God.

They can’t know and I don’t deserve the love. The kindness.

The grace.

Sometimes we cover our own eyes.

But, His knowing is bathed in love, in mercy and in forgiveness. 

In the Garden, the LORD came to them.  They hid from Him as He looked for them. They covered themselves.  They could not bear to be bare.  Shame. They made their separation through shame.

Genesis 3:8 “…hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God…”

They knew good and evil.  Sin. The contrast was shame to them.

In His mercy, God in that moment called to them.

Sin had entered the world and God had a plan.  His plan was and is for life. Sin would meet an end. Sin would not be permitted to live forever as the Tree of Life was guarded to keep from giving sin an eternity. 

With every curse that came with the sin, God would redeem through the life and blood of Himself in our presence as Christ. His death for the wages of sin and His life resurrected is our life-given grace for eternity. 

A relationship…for eternity.

 Shame taken.

Grace given.

 For Life.

Relationship and Love.

 Just as we are because of the way He is.

Don’t let shame be your covering. Sometimes dropping that covering is a “cold and broken Hallelujah.” But He Himself is your clothing.

 Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ

 

Drop the shame and wrap in His robe of love and forgiveness. 

Grace looks so good on you.

He loves to have you in His presence.

You are loved.



A Nightmare, A Dream

 

 

Alarmed by a strange dream, I woke the next morning and thought about it. The symbolism began to be revealed.

I was floating along in a crystal, clear river.  It was beautiful and lush with green foliage along the banks. Healthy, aquatic plants were growing and it appeared to be perfect.  Then, while floating with the current, there was a huge head of a fish that had been dead for a long time.  It was mostly decomposed as it floated with the last bits of rotted flesh lifting from it  There were no longer eyes in the sockets.  I was grossed out and I shoved it away from me with the wooden pole I had in my hand. 

Having been disrupted by my shove and coming out from inside the cavity of the rotting fish head, were many beautiful, small, young fish.  They were a different kind. They were vibrant, alive, clean and striped in colors like a rainbow.  I shoved the disgusting head further away and they chased after it to go back inside and “feed.”  I shoved the head again and the young ones were exposed.  I was so bothered that they attempted to return to the decomposed head  and I began to smack the water over the top of them to keep them from returning to the rotting head again, long enough for them to see what was all around them.  The river had so much to offer them in way of life and good things to eat and beautiful places to dwell.  I woke up grossed out and upset.

The setting, river and flow was spiritual and of God’s essence and perfect creation and life.  The small, living fish were like young ones made with promise, given all that they need to live in ways of good and beautiful things out in the light of God and all that lives.  Instead, they chose to feed on the “mind” of a fish that had been before them.  It had been another fish that was bigger and died and rotted. Mortal.  They were living in the dark, inside of this dead head and feeding off of it.

It made me think of the young ones that follow men’s thoughts and feed off of them. Feeding off of men that had maybe one time been great or highly regarded. But, each one of these great minds met the same mortality of death and decay. By living in and off of it they miss the fullness of their spiritual life.

That’s where the creation all around them was being ignored.  That the life and fullness of  life through the Holy Spirit  were being left because they didn’t understand how much promise they were given Spiritually and in life all around them from the Giver of Life.  They had been given so much, but they were not living in it. 

The one great mind of Christ, esteemed to at least have been very wise and good by the least of believers,  never saw decay. 

 In His resurrection and power He stood alone as God with us.

Psalm 16:9-11 NLT

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. 11You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Acts 13:35  So it is also stated elsewhere: "'You will not let your holy one see decay.'

John 2:22 NIV  After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

1 Corinthians 2:15-16 NIV  But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

This is Matthew Henry’s Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:15-16 taken from Biblehub.com.

“This is most clear testimony, both to the real Godhead and the distinct person of the Holy Spirit. The apostles were not guided by worldly principles. They had the revelation of these things from the Spirit of God, and the saving impression of them from the same Spirit. These things they declared in plain, simple language, taught by the Holy Spirit, totally different from the affected oratory or enticing words of man's wisdom. The natural man, the wise man of the world, receives not the things of the Spirit of God. The pride of carnal reasoning is really as much opposed to spirituality, as the basest sensuality. The sanctified mind discerns the real beauties of holiness, but the power of discerning and judging about common and natural things is not lost. But the carnal man is a stranger to the principles, and pleasures, and actings of the Divine life. The spiritual man only, is the person to whom God gives the knowledge of his will. How little have any known of the mind of God by natural power! And the apostles were enabled by his Spirit to make known his mind. In the Holy Scriptures, the mind of Christ, and the mind of God in Christ, are fully made known to us. It is the great privilege of Christians, that they have the mind of Christ revealed to them by his Spirit. They experience his sanctifying power in their hearts, and bring forth good fruits in their lives.”

I believe the smooth, wooden pole I held was representative of the cross of Christ as I stirred up the waters of His Spirit to keep the promise-filled young ones from going back to filling themselves on the minds of those who cannot compare to the Holy and risen mind of Christ.  It is my prayer and dream that many would see and understand in ways they had not before and live in the fullness of life. 

John 16:13 ESV  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.



Fair Weather

 

 

 

Battling a new cold-snap here in Minnesota following several glorious days of spring warmth, the hearts and hopes are dashed that winter feels like it is back. Some are angered. Idle threats of moving on to someplace else start to pop up. Our son groaned as I pulled out his winter coat again. But, as soon as the sun shines and a warm breeze comes, we are out reveling in this place of Minnesota and where we call “home.” 

Fair weather fans of sports teams. 

I admit I am one.  Ultimately, I don’t have much faith in some of my home teams, but when they are doing well I cheer along as if I am one of them.  True fans, through thick and thin, look bewildered when it comes to my late cheers.  And then a loss…and I’m gone. 

Many relationships begin to reveal the fair weather hearts.  There are fair weather men and all-weather women and vice-versa.  How many people have walked away from relationships because it wasn’t as fun as it was before? Or, hardships come, lack of jobs, hopelessness, illness, dismay and the plans desired don’t occur. “It must be because of you,” we think. “You don’t make me feel as good as before.” And we walk.  

I see it in faith and relationship with God over and over again.  I admit to having had my days of doubt because things were hard, or quiet and I felt alone.  Where was God?  It’s the mindset of, “What have you done for me lately?”  Our faith becomes about being self satisfied. But, how flimsy and sorrowful that time is.  It is a faith that is weak and quickly loses hope.  But what it really has lost are the eyes of how good God is. 

In every hard time, loss and sorrow, He promises a blessing.

Matthew 5:3-12

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

 8Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 Good will come to those who love him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28.  When you surrender to the knowledge that He has promised to never leave you or forsake you, every situation is going to be used by Him to draw you nearer to Him. He shows you His presence and power and desire to know Him in all things. 

 A flame is brightest in the dark. 

Taking our eyes off of ourselves or just opening our eyes and onto Him is the starting place.  Reflecting on Who He has been in your life.  I have my life.  He is my Father and Creator of this life in me.  I breathe, my heart beats and it is all given to me by Him.  It is as basic as that and then so much more.

Asking to see Him in my life a while ago when I was going through some harder times, He gave me a video snap shot of all the good He has given to me.  None of those things He had given was I able to do, it is all of Him.  How could I doubt?  But, I did.  And, again in His faithfulness, He reminded me of it all.  I just had to be willing to look at every bad that has happened and how He has given and I received a way through it and how later, more good and a stronger faith came that could only come from Him.  From there He taught that He will be there in hard times, that He will provide what I need, even better faith.  It strengthened my faith greatly.

When I falter it is because I start to look to myself instead of His promises and power.

In prayer recently the LORD said the words, “Messiah Jireh.”  I didn’t really know what it meant exactly.  I recognized the words in familiarity.  I always think of Jesus as Messiah and thought more of the word “Savior.”  In Hebrew, Messiah really means Anointed One.  Jireh means provide. 

The first place that the word Jireh was used is in Genesis 22:14. It is following when Abraham was told to sacrifice his son Isaac and Abraham was not going to withhold it because he knew God would provide the ram or sacrifice.  Whatever way the sacrifice was to be, it was of God and Abraham had faith in Who God is, letting go of his plans for God’s plans in what would have been painful obedience and faith-filled trust that no matter what, God is good. 

When he was ready to raise the knife he was told to stop.  There in the thicket was the ram, caught by its horns.  Genesis 22:13-14   Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Messiah Jireh.  The Anointed One Provides. He provided our sacrifice, He provides for our faith, He provides the fulfillment of every promise, He provides everlasting love and life. He provides all that we need in good weather and bad.  He is there. Have faith.

Romans 4:3 ESV For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

“Jesus sought the lowly place so He could lift you up to the highest place.  He was rejected by men so you could be accepted by God.  He was acquainted with grief so that you could be comforted with the love that knows no limits and has no end” ~ Roy Lessin  Meet Me In the Meadow.com

He loves us at our worst.  He loves us when we don’t give Him fair weather days.  He loves us and gives us His best.  His love.  Always.

Jeremiah 31:3  the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.

Believing is committing.  Committing to His good and perfect plan even amidst what seems dark. 

Committing in fair weather and in bad because He Is Good.

Because He loves.

Messiah Jireh.

The Anointed One Provides.