The hardest things are not those that the world knows of. Down in your secret soul unseen and unknown by any but Jesus, there is a little trial that you would not dare to mention that is harder for you to bear than martyrdom. --Selected
We all have that wolf deep inside that we keep suppressed, that we try not to feed, and that has no good in it. One of the issues that consistently come out when I talk to men is how hard it is to sit down and pray with our wife. The usual answer is that our wife knows where we really live, that is, they know what we’re really like – the failings that most others can’t see. And many felt like they were being hypocritical by leading a spiritual prayer. … I could discuss many faults with this logic in relation to God’s Word, but for this topic it will suffice me to say that we’ve all felt unworthy to bring ourselves before God at various times no matter how much we hear and read He loves us and wants us to come to Him. Here is an excerpt from a previous devotion that I feel compelled to include today:
In my own life, I have tried very hard to get rid of my shame cup but yet it remains. I have had so many horrible and disgusting thoughts and I fall to them over and over. I can’t clean my mind enough to finally get rid of them once and for all. So, when I pray to God for forgiveness, I am usually praying over the obvious failures and hiding my shame cup because those things are far too bad to even consider letting a pure and holy God stick His fingers into. I mean, it’s horrible and I hate and despise it. The shame from this cup keeps me from looking God in the eye. I can’t lift my head to see God because this cup weighs me down and keeps me in crud. People say I’m a good person and that I am a positive influence, but I know the truth. I am a horrible person and my shame cup proves it. I know God knows all about it, but I just can’t imagine having to make Him clean that cup out.
What did I just say? “Make Him”, I can’t make God do anything. This means He wants to do it - Jesus willingly climbed on the cross. How could a righteous and holy God willingly want to clean that disgusting and vile shame cup of mine out? It is not a question of if God can take if, but a question of will I give it to Him. Yet there God is with His hand out, waiting on me to let go. Or, He has already cleaned it out and He’s just waiting on me to accept it and be the person He created me to be. “You can do all things through Me” Jesus tells us. I mentally see me as being ghost-like and having to pass through Him, but my shame cup won’t pass. I pass through, but I am held by my hold on my shame cup. Jesus will not let that pass through Him. So, in order to do anything for Him and in Him, I’ve got to let it go.
Take it, oh Lord and forgive me completely! I tremble in the agony of sadness and sorrow of my depravity. Then, my soul jumps and my heart soars, my shoulders no longer slump under the weight. What’s this? Where is this from? Why? The burden is lifted, a burden far heavier than I even knew I was carrying.
Where's the burden pulling my head down?
We all have that wolf deep inside that we keep suppressed, that we try not to feed, and that has no good in it. One of the issues that consistently come out when I talk to men is how hard it is to sit down and pray with our wife. The usual answer is that our wife knows where we really live, that is, they know what we’re really like – the failings that most others can’t see. And many felt like they were being hypocritical by leading a spiritual prayer. … I could discuss many faults with this logic in relation to God’s Word, but for this topic it will suffice me to say that we’ve all felt unworthy to bring ourselves before God at various times no matter how much we hear and read He loves us and wants us to come to Him. Here is an excerpt from a previous devotion that I feel compelled to include today:
In my own life, I have tried very hard to get rid of my shame cup but yet it remains. I have had so many horrible and disgusting thoughts and I fall to them over and over. I can’t clean my mind enough to finally get rid of them once and for all. So, when I pray to God for forgiveness, I am usually praying over the obvious failures and hiding my shame cup because those things are far too bad to even consider letting a pure and holy God stick His fingers into. I mean, it’s horrible and I hate and despise it. The shame from this cup keeps me from looking God in the eye. I can’t lift my head to see God because this cup weighs me down and keeps me in crud. People say I’m a good person and that I am a positive influence, but I know the truth. I am a horrible person and my shame cup proves it. I know God knows all about it, but I just can’t imagine having to make Him clean that cup out.
What did I just say? “Make Him”, I can’t make God do anything. This means He wants to do it - Jesus willingly climbed on the cross. How could a righteous and holy God willingly want to clean that disgusting and vile shame cup of mine out? It is not a question of if God can take if, but a question of will I give it to Him. Yet there God is with His hand out, waiting on me to let go. Or, He has already cleaned it out and He’s just waiting on me to accept it and be the person He created me to be. “You can do all things through Me” Jesus tells us. I mentally see me as being ghost-like and having to pass through Him, but my shame cup won’t pass. I pass through, but I am held by my hold on my shame cup. Jesus will not let that pass through Him. So, in order to do anything for Him and in Him, I’ve got to let it go.
Take it, oh Lord and forgive me completely! I tremble in the agony of sadness and sorrow of my depravity. Then, my soul jumps and my heart soars, my shoulders no longer slump under the weight. What’s this? Where is this from? Why? The burden is lifted, a burden far heavier than I even knew I was carrying.
Where's the burden pulling my head down?
I look all over but it cannot be found!
Jesus lifts my head and looks me in the eye.
He carries my heart to the heavens on high!
Oh what a Savior that would take such a thing
And love me forever with all of His means!
Jesus lifts my head and looks me in the eye.
He carries my heart to the heavens on high!
Oh what a Savior that would take such a thing
And love me forever with all of His means!
1 comment:
Why can I not let go of my own shame cup. I know its there, God knows its there. I get into a routine, I think I've shaken it, but then routine is broken and there it is. Still full and waiting. How can I let it go and let God?
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