“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. 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.” Isa. 54:4-5 (NLT)
Heavenly Father, this portion of your Word makes even non-dancers want to dance. Thank you for your tenacious tenderness, inexhaustible patience, and heart-healing kindness towards us.
In Isaiah’s words, you intend us to live in grace, not disgrace; by celebrating with joy, not hiding in shame; with great hope, not paralyzing fear. You have rooted us in your love, and one Day we will be made perfect in love (1 John 3:1-3).
Until that blessed Day, make the gospel more palpably real to us—truer, sweeter, and more powerful. What a blessing it is to realize you’re not ashamed of us, Father. You desire us and delight in us just as much as you delight in Jesus—as hard as that is to believe.
Your eyes are filled with welcome and compassion for us. Your heart is our home, for you have hidden our lives in Jesus. You know everything about us and love us completely. There’s nothing left about us to discover, shock, or disappoint you.
On this February Saturday, we’re grateful for your promise to give us grace upon grace (John 1:16). We have nothing to fear, except our unbelief. Father, our words are woefully inadequate to express our sense of gratitude, relief, and peace.
Your name is Redeemer, and our name is beloved. Astonishing: The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made us his beloved Bride. May our identity in Jesus impact us more than anybody’s approval, our lingering shame, the comparisons we make, and the wounds that we carry. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ merciful and mighty name.