Look to God for help
Friday, February 4
Look to God for help
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. Psalm 34:5
The enemy uses many tactics to damage our relationship with our Father, often by filling our mind with lies that we eventually repeat to ourselves and then believe to be the truth. Sometimes we experience a moment in our lives that brings on a very deep sense of shame. It could be the result of being wronged by another person, or sometimes it’s because of the way you behaved or reacted in a situation. Whatever the situation might be, suddenly a shadow of darkness closes in, almost like a curtain that suddenly is drawn in front of you. Your whole being wanted to retreat from life, people, and God – shame, disappointment, emotional pain, and hopelessness take over.
You are now living in isolation. The worst thing about shame is that when this happens you often think you deserve to feel this way. Although you know you ought to be forgiving yourself and others, you can’t, because the truth is you’re judging yourself to be guilty and feel you’ve lost your integrity. How can you ever look into your Father’s eyes again, you think, for surely He must agree with your own judgment of yourself? And so the vicious cycle of lies begins and it continues. You know that you’ve been redeemed and seen as righteous in Him. You know if you go to God in repentance you can be forgiven, but a shadow is now clouding your vision and judgment. Even the idea of sharing this with someone seems impossible, and you’re trapped. There’s turmoil within.
If this is you, I’d like to encourage you in the word of God. The Lord comes alongside you and says: ‘Now I will take the load from your shoulders; I will free your hands from their heavy tasks’ (Psalm 81:6). Our Father longs to free you from your heavy burden, but you must choose to ask Him. The Lord is your rock and your strong tower; your place of safety. Run to Him, He’s waiting for you.
Prayer for today: Loving Father, thank You so much that You’re waiting for me to turn to You for help. You welcome me with open arms and I run into You. Please deliver me from the enemy’s snare and remove the shadow from my face. I trust You to bring deep healing to my inner being and restore what the enemy has stolen. Amen.