In you, LORD my God,
I put my trust.
I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, LORD, are good.
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant. (Psalm 25:1–10 NIV)
Have you ever been embarrassed in a public situation? We have lived in both the US and Canada, and there are a few words that are uniquely pronounced in each country. One of them being the entrance area in a church. Depending on which country you are from, you can pronounce it as “foy-yer” or “foy-yay;” or you could also say entrance, lobby, narthex, or some other variation. I tend to forget which pronunciation goes with which country and said the wrong one while I was on stage at church. Our good friend loves to tease me about this and called me out from the platform. I was embarrassed and self-conscious, but I also had to laugh at myself, too. The thing about embarrassment is that the enemy can cunningly shift it to shame where we make conclusions about our own “badness” or lack of worth before others. It is an ugly thing. Moreover, shame tends to make us shrink inward away from God and other people, moving toward isolation. It is not the way the Lord wants us to live.
In this passage, David expresses his trust in God to protect him from being put to shame. God is his hope and protector, loving and good. Even more, the Lord teaches David the way to walk that will prevent him from feeling shame, because God’s ways are tender and faithful. David recognizes this humble way of life following the Lord protects him from shame.
However, we cannot be perfect; there is no possibility we will get it right all the time. And, in our failings and sin, the enemy loves to twist words and actions to push on our shame button – minimizing us, our testimony, leaving us questioning our worth or calling. We walk with a heavy burden rather than as people of Emmanuel – God with us.
How beautiful is the truth from Hebrews 12:2–3 concerning the pioneer and perfecter of faith: “For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Our beautiful, incarnate Saviour scorned the cross’s shame to bear it for each of us. Our Saviour chose to become flesh, dwelling among us, so we would be lifted from shame and forgiven. He has come near to you.
Are you bearing any shame today, friend? How is it limiting your confidence in Jesus, or his purposes over your life? Come to him today! He has borne your shame, faced your accusers, and sits at the right hand of the throne of God.
Today you will likely encounter someone bearing the weight their own choices, actions, backgrounds, and stories, leaving them under the weight of some level of shame. How could you introduce them to Emmanuel’s love today? What words of life can you speak to point them to our tender Saviour?
Christine Okken is the executive assistant to Dr. Harry Kelm, the NAB executive director.