"Those who look to him for help will be radiant with
joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces." Psalm 34:5 NLT The shadow of
shame followed him like a dog on a leash reluctant to walk.
Vinny grew up in a home where religious rules were
forced down his throat like a nasty medicine. For his first fourteen years, he
could do nothing about his situation-other than stew on the inside. At fifteen,
a driver's license and a new car gave him the freedom he wanted. Add a few rowdy
friends, and his course of rebellion was set.
Vinny's road of rebellion began with smoking and
drinking. School was merely a place to hang out when he'd missed too many days
to stay out again. The habits soon led to acts of vandalism. Acts that could
have landed him in jail-or at least caused him to do community service and pay a
large fine-had he been caught.
By the time Vinny was sixteen, he had more than a few
notches of rebellion in his belt. But he wasn't really proud of them. His
parents and others had taught him better. The day came when he confessed all his
mess and turned his life around, but the shadow of shame remained.
Vinny wondered whether God could still use him. No one
except his friends knew all he had done. On Sundays, he appeared to be a normal
teenager. The perfect preacher's kid. It wasn't until some years later that he
came to understand the full and complete forgiveness of Christ and moved beyond
his past.
I can identify with Vinny. I, too, have things in my
past I'm not proud of. At one time, they held me back. I wondered if God could
use someone with a sordid past. But like the psalmist, I looked to God, and He
removed the shadow of shame.
I remembered the verse that said those in Christ were
new creatures whose old things had passed away. And the one that reminded me I
was no longer under condemnation. And the one that said confession brings
forgiveness and a renewed relationship with Christ. I looked at the many seedy
characters in the Bible who God chose to use despite their shameful pasts. I
began looking to God and stopped listening to Satan who said the shadow of shame
made me useless. Shame became just a shadow with no substance.
Don't let the shadow of shame keep you from serving
Christ in the present.
Martin Wiles
Hodges,
South Carolina, USA
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.