Daily Devotionals

It's Not Supposed to Be This Way Week 2: Monday

"At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves." Genesis 3:7

When sin entered the world with Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit that God had instructed them not to eat, shame entered, too. Sometimes shame and guilt become confused with one another. Someone once explained that guilt says "I did wrong," while shame says "I am wrong." Guilt is an appropriate response to sin, but shame was never what God intended. Because of sin, however, shame plagues many people every single day. It was not supposed to be this way.

 Adam and Eve encountered their first experience with shame in Genesis 3. Before Genesis 3, Adam and Eve walked through the Garden of Eden naked and unashamed (Genesis 2:25). Shame did not even exist. Everything changed when they introduced sin into the world by eating fruit from the tree God had instructed them not to eat from. The moment they ate the fruit, Scripture teaches that "their eyes were opened" (verse 7). "Suddenly, they felt shame at their nakedness" (verse 7). The first human emotion mentioned once sin had entered the world was shame. Adam and Eve no longer would walk around the garden unashamed. They made clothes for themselves out of fig leaves to cover themselves. From this moment on, humans have been trying to cover up their shame.

It was not supposed to be this way. Scripture makes it clear that God never wanted humans to struggle with shame. That is why, throughout Scripture, we read that God made a plan to take away our shame. The prophet Isaiah wrote about God's plan to take away shame from His people in Isaiah chapter 54. In this chapter, he wrote, "Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don't be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you" (verse 4). Why would this be true, a Redeemer, Jesus, was coming to change everything and overcome sin, death, and, yes, shame (verse 5). Shame is never the end of the story. We have a Savior who took on our shame for us and buried it once and for all.

Moving toward action

Take some time to think about your own life. Has shame come up in any area? Have you been holding on to shame because of sin in the past that you have already confessed to God and asked for forgiveness for? It is time to let go of the shame you have been carrying. Memorize 1 John 1:9. Hold on to the promise that God is faithful to forgive. Let this promise lead you to receive God's forgiveness and let go of the shame you have been carrying.

Going Deeper

Isaiah 54:1-17 (NLT)

"Sing, O childless woman,
you who have never given birth!
Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem,
you who have never been in labor.
For the desolate woman now has more children
than the woman who lives with her husband,"
says the Lord.
2 "Enlarge your house; build an addition.
Spread out your home, and spare no expense!
3 For you will soon be bursting at the seams.
Your descendants will occupy other nations
and resettle the ruined cities.
4 "Fear not; you will no longer live in shame.
Don't be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you.
You will no longer remember the shame of your youth
and the sorrows of widowhood.
5 For your Creator will be your husband;
the Lord of Heaven's Armies is his name!
He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
the God of all the earth.
6 For the Lord has called you back from your grief-
as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,"
says your God.
7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I will take you back.
8 In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while.
But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,"
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 "Just as I swore in the time of Noah
that I would never again let a flood cover the earth,
so now I swear
that I will never again be angry and punish you.
10 For the mountains may move
and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
My covenant of blessing will never be broken,"
says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
11 "O storm-battered city,
troubled and desolate!
I will rebuild you with precious jewels
and make your foundations from lapis lazuli.
12 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies,
your gates of shining gems,
and your walls of precious stones.
13 I will teach all your children,
and they will enjoy great peace.
14 You will be secure under a government that is just and fair.
Your enemies will stay far away.
You will live in peace,
and terror will not come near.
15 If any nation comes to fight you,
it is not because I sent them.
Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat.
16 "I have created the blacksmith
who fans the coals beneath the forge
and makes the weapons of destruction.
And I have created the armies that destroy.
17 But in that coming day
no weapon turned against you will succeed.
You will silence every voice
raised up to accuse you.
These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord;
their vindication will come from me.
I, the Lord, have spoken!"