November 11
“Bring disgrace upon the arrogant people who lied about me; meanwhile, I will concentrate on Your commandments. May I be blameless in keeping Your decrees; then I will never be ashamed.” Psalm 119:78, 80
We live in a unique time for many, many reasons. One of the trademarks recently is to shame people or groups of people whose thoughts, opinions, speech, or behavior are considered reprehensible. In some countries, the shame culture elicits harsh responses like throwing acid on one’s face or even killing them because they shamed their family. In our country, it’s not about family, it’s about ideology. If you say something that is outside their worldview, the result is a relentless assault with sometimes ruinous consequences; your opinion is not just wrong—you are a bad person.
It’s interesting that the psalmist mentions being shamed by someone who was slandering him. He calls on Yahweh to settle the score. His main concern is that he does not speak or act in a shameful way. He recognizes that it’s God’s business to take care of the arrogant; his business is to get focused on God’s word.
Concentrating on the word of God keeps us from shame. It does so by guiding us to live in a way that brings honor, not shame. For instance, it shows us the value and the way to moral purity so that we can avoid being ashamed because of adultery or pornography. It shows us the way to self-control so that we can avoid the shame of being drunk or otherwise out of control. It shows us how to love our spouse so that we can avoid the shame of destroying our marriage out of self-centeredness. This applies to all conduct and all relationships.
Should Christians experience shame? Shame is a popular topic in Scripture, used 227 times! Many times it applies to the believer who has wandered from God’s way, as our psalmist who wants to avoid experiencing shame.
Truth is, I have a history of shameful acts. Fortunately, I have a Savior who died for my sin and shame. Hallelujah! I have repented of those shameful acts and when they surface in my consciousness, I gladly recall that the blood of Jesus has paid to exonerate me with His precious blood!
Jesus, I praise You for Your rescue from a shameful life, Your blood that covers my shameful acts, and Your word that guides me on the honorable path. Amen
💖🙏🏼💖AMEN
AMEN!