From the opening pages of Genesis to the closing book of Revelation, the issue of shame tarnishes the lives of numerous Biblical figures. Some of them rise up from their humiliation and overcome it while others die in their shame.
The Prophet Jeremiah summarized the extensive effects of shame on God's people, Israel, In Jeremiah 3:24, 25:
"For shame has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth--Their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame and our reproach covers us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God."
Shame plagued God's people from their youth. It marked the lives of their sons and daughters and affected their livelihood (flocks and herds). They were continually tormented by shame. It was with them when they laid down at night and when they rose up in the morning.
Captives of the spiral of shame, God's people gladly received a powerful word from the prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 61:7 "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."
This tremendous revelation concerning the double portion is actually found in an Old Testament law that requires double restitution for what an enemy steals from you in Exodus 22:4,7, and 9. God declares that His people will receive double honor for their shame and that instead of confusion there will be peace and everlasting joy.
Think of the impact of this tremendous Word from God! God will take the very thing that has bound you and use it to achieve your deliverance:
-Has shame caused depression and discouragement? You will receive double joy and happiness.
-Has shame robbed you of income because of a lack of confidence that you are able to achieve? Then God will restore your abilities so you can recover twice as much as you lost.
-Everything you lost through shame will be restored double to you!
Here is God's Word for you in Isaiah 54:4:
"Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame and will not remember the reproach anymore. "
You will not be ashamed or disgraced anymore! God will even heal the memories of your shameful experiences! In Zechariah, God returns to this theme to reiterate:
Zechariah 9:12 "Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you."
Instead of being a prisoner of shame, you are now a prisoner of hope! You do not need to be concerned about the years spent trapped in shame's downward spiral, for God declares in Joel 2:25:
"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust..."
Shame crawls, chews, and consumes, but God says, "I will restore double what shame destroyed in your life." He declares in Isaiah 54:4 NLT:
"Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. The shame of your youth...will be remembered no more..."
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