In a patriarchal society, barrenness carried deep shame, a failure to continue the husband's family name. It was also seen as a kind of divine punishment. Today, most of us don't think of barrenness in the same way. But that doesn't mean we haven't found new ways for shame to mark our lives, name us, and follow us around.
You may not relate to the Bible's concept of barrenness, chances are, though, you know shame. In Isaiah 54, the barrenness of the people was their exile. It was their suffering, their displacement, and being cut off. As a pastor, I can tell you many of us feel like the things we go through are too embarrassing, too heavy, or too complicated to share. So, yes, we know shame well.
That's why God's promise in Isaiah 54 remains such a beautiful reflection point. God told the people that their past humiliation would not define their future. At one point in the chapter, God says "You will forget the shame of your youth." Even in their confinement, God was building and preparing a new home for them, and gave them permission to envision a new life. And that gives us permission to rethink our shame as well. 
Shame is a false identity. It tries to cling to you, but it is not who you are. Shame wants you to hide, but God's grace allows you to live and sing again.
Notice God's first word to those shame-filled people: "Sing." Not after the miracle, but before it, even when it seems impossible and still feels barren. Sing of what God can do even before you can see what God will do. To sing in your barren, shameful places is to put praise in its place. And your praise opens you to the joy God gives.
In that sense, we can say that faith sings first. It doesn't wait for results. It trusts in God and the future God is guiding us to.
Stay blessed...john | 
No comments:
Post a Comment