February 12, 2020
For full passage click here: Psalm 119:5-8 … “O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.” vss. 5
Even as he seeks to glorify the law of the Lord and to extol the benefits of obedience, the Psalmist hints at one of the sad side-effects of life in a law based culture. If a person is not steadfast in keeping the statutes, there is a strong likelihood that they will be visited by shame. We all know the feeling. For some of us, it was instilled from childhood when we heard a constant refrain from our parents, “Shame on you, shame on you for...” The adults around us seemed to take delight in rubbing our noses in our mistakes and errors. They may not have meant much by it, but for children those words sting and rip into their hearts, and they carry the debris for a lifetime. We even begin to think that we’re not worthy to stand before the Lord and that God’s punishment is sure to come. People who operate from a self-image of shame and guilt are seldom capable of being in a stable relationship. They can’t imagine that anyone could love a person like them. Shame! It’s a parent’s gift that keeps on giving! What pure joy comes to such persons when they wander from a culture that is shame-based to one that is grace-based! Happy are those who learn to walk confidently in the way of love!
Thought for the Day: When have I felt the most shame in my life?
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