“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” Psalm 34:4-5
Lord Jesus, in our bouts with doubt, fear, sin, and shame, we are way too slow to seek you. For we fear being seen—we dread being found out, frowned upon, and forsaken. Such is the depth of our unbelief, and a sign of how little we actually “get” the Gospel. For you always greet us with compassion, mercy, and grace upon grace—always.
You know everything we know about ourselves and the other 98% as well. You know every way and every time we think, speak, and act in ways that contradict the Gospel and hide your beauty. It’s not that you’ve grown indifferent; it’s that you’re never less than perfect as our Savior. Hallelujah.
Because we are yours, we have no unforgiven sins. We no longer wear the burden of our guilt, but the robe of your righteousness. In reality, the better we know you—the more of your beauty we behold, your goodness we savor, and your truth we ponder—we will have more to confess and repent of, not less.
Oh for the Day when we will never again doubt your love or get disconnected from the power of the Gospel. Hasten the Day when we’ll never again get sucker-punched by sin, hide in the dark shadow of shame, or be less than radiant with joy. That eternal Day cannot get here too soon, Jesus. So Very Amen.