One Year Bible for Friday, December 19, 2014
Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Revelation 10:1-11; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 30:11-14
On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against Me… Zephaniah 3:11 (ESV)
For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. Zephaniah 3:13 (ESV)
What would it be like to live a life completely free from shame or fear? 
There are all kinds of reasons people feel ashamed. Some are valid reasons and some are not. Ezekiel 18:20 says “the soul that sins shall die.” If we commit sin, the immediate result should be some sense of guilt and shame. That presses us to get forgiveness from God.
Sometimes we feel shame and guilt because we have done wrong. The good news is that Jesus can forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).
Sometimes we feel shame and guilt even though we haven’t really done anything wrong. We just feel the sting of rejection. It seems to be built into the human condition that we sense deep down something is out of kilter. There is in every man the heart cry for a Savior.
But, once we have asked for and received forgiveness, why do we still carry shame? The result of faith in Christ should be a clean conscience and a fearless life. Shame lies to us and tells us we are doomed to condemnation. Guilt imprints with the stain of rejection and hopelessness.
Despite Israel’s repeated rebellion, God tells her a better day lies ahead. He wants to take away her shame and banish her fear. This is the beauty and wonder of the Cross of Christ. In Him, we can be free.
Our inheritance in Christ is a shame-free, fear-free life. He builds confidence in us — not in our own abilities, but His. “Greater is He who is in you that he who is in the world.” (I John 4:4)