God Removes Shame and Its Source

Terrance Niedziela Jr 

“Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.” —Isaiah 61:7 (NKJV)

Ever since Adam's sin, every human has experienced the shame and devastation of doing and speaking evil. I have lost a great deal because of my past sins. I have wondered—Can I ever live without the shame of my past? Is it possible to get back what I lost? Isaiah 61:7 is one of many scriptures that answer these questions. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.” (NKJV)

God not only removes the feelings of shame we experience from sinning, but also the cause of the shame.

Understanding the Concept of Shame and Its Removal Through Faith

The word “shame” used in this passage is bosheth and means “shame or shameful thing”. It comes from the Hebrew word buwsh, which means “the feeling and condition, as well as the cause of shame, an idol.” God not only removes the feelings of shame we experience from sinning, but also the cause of the shame. Shame drives us away from God, not toward Him. We shrink away and think we must “clean ourselves up” before we enter His presence. I have met people who say, “Once I get my life right, I’ll go back to church.” We cringe away from His love and goodness because we don’t think we’re worthy. The truth is, we’re not worthy in and of ourselves. We will never be able to make ourselves worthy of standing before God. We try to clean ourselves up first, like children trying to wash themselves at the sink, and all they do is smear around the dirt. What the child needs is to jump in the shower. That shower is found in the shed blood of Jesus. Only His blood can wash away the things that dirty and defile us.

I’ve put relationships and my desires above God in the past. I made decisions that cost me life-giving relationships, ministry, reputation, and dignity. It also brought an all-consuming shame I could not shake. I tried to clean myself up before I considered myself worthy to enter God’s presence. I tried to be good enough. But like the dirty kid, I ended up smearing around the dirt. In the end, I had to do what 1 John 1:9 says. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (NKJV)

Right standing with God means we can be in His presence without sin-consciousness.

Embracing Forgiveness and Restoration Through Righteousness

As disciples of Jesus, when we realize we’ve been living in opposition to God’s Word and will, we must run to God and ask for forgiveness. He wants to forgive and restore us. He wants to wash us clean and remove our shame so we can live in a close relationship with Him again. When He forgives us, to Him it’s as though it never happened. We have a right standing with God, which the Bible calls righteousness, and we can be in His presence without sin-consciousness. We no longer focus on our sin. We focus on Him and His goodness. Our relationship with Him is restored.

God pours out a double portion as we pursue Him, as if this were not enough. He restores what we lost. While many people’s minds immediately go to money and wanting a double portion of whatever finances they lost, this restoration is much more than physical wealth. When God restores, He focuses on the spiritual first. Natural things take care of themselves when we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. We prosper and are in health even as our soul prospers. If our soul, which is our mind, will, and emotions, are not prospering, then our health and material goods will not prosper either. This is why repentance and the removal of shame are so important to the disciple of Jesus. Until there is a change of heart, there will not be a change of actions. Repentance and the removal of shame bring a change of heart that affects our actions. Only then will we manage the physical things God has given us wisely and under the Holy Spirit’s leadership.

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Prayer—Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching me about shame. Thank you for being willing to forgive my sins and remove my shame. I have lived in shame for so long, and I don’t want to live this way anymore. Please forgive me for sinning against You, running from You, and believing I deserve to live in shame. Please take this shame and replace it with your peace and joy. I ask mercy and grace to run to You the next time I fail. Thank you again for freeing me. I love you, Daddy God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Your Turn

1.     What is a source of shame you need to get rid of?

2.     According to the Bible, what is the proper approach to that problem (regarding shame), and what is the recommended course of action?

3.      Join The Conversation—What’s something in this devotion that stuck out to you the most?