Sometimes I go to a dark place in my soul, and I struggle with feelings of not being enough. I will lay in bed at night wrestling with dark thoughts. A sinister voice whispers to me: “You are not loved. You will never be enough. You might as well just give up the fight.”

Oh, those lies from the pit of hell! There is an enemy of my soul, and he wants to demoralize me and make me desperate. He wants me to give in to despair and wonder if God has forever deserted me. My adversary will stop at nothing to destroy me and rob me of peace.

Here is the truth: I don’t deserve God’s love, but my God is seated on a throne of grace. He pours out His lavish love with reckless abandon, and His unconditional love covers all of my sin. He took on flesh and bore my reproach on the cross, and all of my transgressions have been cast away as far as the east is from the west. I am fully forgiven and free from all condemnation.

I don’t have to be enough because the Advocate who is in me is greater than the adversary who is in the world. I am adopted into His family and transformed into a new creation.

When shame tries to fill our minds with misery, we need to remember the miracles of mercy God is accomplishing in our lives:

  • Our Rescuer has heard our cry for help, lifted us out of the pit of sin, and placed our feet safely on the rock (Psalm 40:1-2).
  • God has delivered us from the sentence of death and will continue to deliver us (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).
  • Because we have placed our faith in Christ, we have been declared righteous, and we have peace with God. His love has been poured into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:1-5).
  • Those who seek the Lord’s help will never be ashamed and have no need to fear. When we look to Him, we are radiant and have every reason to praise (Psalm 34:1-5).
  • Our temporary suffering is producing an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Christ is renewing us from within day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Friend, you may be battered, but the Shame Breaker will never let you be completely demoralized. You may be bewildered by the brokenness in this fallen world, but His hope within you keeps you from falling into a pit of despair. The troubles of this world may temporarily knock you down, and you may have to get back up bruised and weary, but your God will always be your defense. Not for a moment will He forsake you.

God has spoken salvation over your life, and shame doesn’t get the last word. The next time you hear the voice of shame calling your name, you can stand on God’s promises and say, “I am not forsaken. I am a child of God.”

The Shame Breaker has covered you with grace and called you His beloved.

 

 

Have you purchased The Gospel of Mark Bible study journal yet? Not only will you find all of the daily reading passages and SOAP journaling pages, but you’ll have each of the daily devotions in printed form–no need to check the app on your phone while working through your study!

Don’t forget, the Bridge Reading Plan is only available in the printed journals! The Bridge is a two-week long reading plan designed to bridge the gap between two studies. In The Gospel of Mark journal you’ll find the Bridge Reading Plan along with two weeks of SOAP journaling pages and daily Scripture reading! Don’t miss this! The Bridge reading plans will walk through the entire Book of Psalms during 2021. This plan is found only in the study journals, so grab one today! You don’t want to miss out!

When you purchase a journal, you are helping us reach women around the world with the gospel. By purchasing a journal you help our incredible team of volunteer translators build up leaders around the world. Your journal purchase allows women to read God’s Word in their native language and have access to quality Bible study materials in the language they best understand. We hope you’ll join us on our mission to make God’s Word accessible to women in every nation and in every language!

Order The Gospel of Mark and The Gospel of Mark for Kids journals here!

 

Lyli Dunbar

Lyli Dunbar

Lyli Dunbar enjoys singing silly karaoke in the car with her husband, digging into Bible study with the girls, and reading twelve books at a time. A writer, speaker, and Biblical Life Coach, her mission is to encourage the weary hearted with fuel for a wildfire faith.

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