I’m ashamed to admit it, but sometimes I pray for God to grant me a good parking spot when I pick up my children from school. I wonder if I do this because, deep down, I believe that God is able to take care of only the small things of life, and little more.
In Joshua 5, God told the people of Israel that He had rolled away the shame of Egypt from them (Joshua 5:9). It’s important to understand that this was no small thing. For the “shame of Egypt” included the Israelites’ constant complaining in the wilderness, their creation of the golden calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai, and losing their faith in God when they were finally approaching the Promised Land. It represented the accumulated failures of generations of Israelites. But God rolled it all away after the people obediently practiced the act of circumcision—an outward sign of the reestablishment of their covenant with God (Joshua 5:2-8).
Today, God offers to roll away our shame through the work of Jesus, giving us a fresh start from even the worst and lowest moments of our lives. Consider how God reinstated Peter after his denial of Jesus and how he called the murderous Pharisee Saul to become the apostle Paul (John 21:15-19; Acts 9:3-18). Consider the sorrow of Good Friday being transformed into the joy of Easter morning (John 19:31-33, 20:11-17).
God does care about the small things, but His power isn’t limited to those things. He’s able to take the shame of our sin, no matter how heavy and burdensome, and roll it away. And so, we can sing with full hearts the words of the famous hymn: “My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Genesis 37:1-36
More:
Read Psalm 103:8-12 and 2 Corinthians 5:17 to be reminded of God’s power to transform lives!
Next:
Have you ever felt that your life was so dark that God would be unable to redeem it? How has God removed your shame from you? Is any shame too much for Him?
okechukwueke38 on January 21, 2015 at 6:00 am
Today’s devotional was very inspirational and spoke to my heart. Well done, ODJ!
Gary Shultz on January 21, 2015 at 7:37 am
I suppose when I was younger I looked down on those that had all of that shame stuff. As the years rolled along I was able to compile my own list of none overt nasty sins. It’s all sin it all condemns and separates from God. So my pile may look a little better, but it smells as bad as any other pile. I need the same blood of Christ to cover my sins as anybody else. As for those parking spaces, good ones are nice, but I thank God for the health to be able to walk from a distant one. Thanks
Kathy @ In Quiet Places on January 21, 2015 at 3:27 pm
I find myself reluctant to pray for the smaller things also. When I go to the dentist and pray for my dental work to go smoothly, I think of the person who is going to the oncologist for chemotherapy and I my first instinct is “this isn’t serious enough to take to God” and yet, I think He wants us to bring it all to Him, the big and small and everything in between.
The new site looks very good!
daisymarygoldr on January 21, 2015 at 11:18 pm
“Shame of Egypt” included the Israelites’ constant complaining in the wilderness, their creation of the golden calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai, and losing their faith in God… the accumulated failures of generations of Israelites, is incorrect. Wilderness, Sinai etc. is are outside Egypt.
“Shame of Egypt” refers to their “slavery in Egypt” (Joshua 5:9).
After the crossing of Jordan, Joshua circumcised all the males. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.”
So, how does this apply to us in Christ?
“When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” … Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life” (Colossians 2:11-12).
“…when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism…We are no longer slaves to sin… When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom… But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God.”
Now what? Let us Praise the Lord…?
“Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.” Romans 6
Mike Wittmer on January 22, 2015 at 7:11 am
Thank you for this perspective. We can take God’s answers with the smaller things as a sign that He has forgiven our big sins. Praise the Lord!