God's Honour for Our ShameSample

What does your name mean? A man we read about in 2 Samuel had a mouthful of a name, one that meant ‘shameful.’ Do you know what it feels like to bear a bad name? Or worse, have no name at all?

For two young girls in Uganda, hearing their names spoken was a rarity. Instead, they were called sub-human, cursed, and shameful. These girls were born with the condition of albinism. Even though they were born to dark-skinned parents, their skin could not create pigment.

At birth, their parents abandoned them. A kind uncle chose to care for them, but as a result, his wife left him, and he could no longer find work. He had become desperate and depressed; this choice also caused his community to fear and reject him. This is how shame works – people fear it will spread to them. But because God has not forgotten us, honour spreads too.

In the Bible, King David had promised Jonathan he would always look after his family. When Jonathan’s father lost his throne, Jonathan's son Mephibosheth was the only one left alive. When just a child, he was smuggled out of the royal home to preserve his life. While he was once a prince, Mephibosheth had been living in utter shame since then. No name, no home. Until David decided he would extend his honour to this forgotten child.

Mephibosheth was welcomed to the palace, given an inheritance, and offered a permanent seat at the table. He had nothing but was gifted everything! This is a biblical picture of what God does for each of us. God invites us into His family, but we must be willing—like Mephibosheth was—to go with him to the place He will lead us. The choice to receive the honour of adoption from God gives us covering for shame.

And what is more – God calls us heirs, inheritors of great honour that is to come! Even though we haven’t received all God has promised us yet, we bear God’s name. That means the honour that belongs to God belongs to us also!

Where are the two precious girls now? Petra and Bianca were invited into a new home by the pastor of a local church. The pastor and his wife called the girls by their names and gave them a place of complete belonging among a family of other fostered and adopted children. In this new home, they say they feel loved. They are healing and learning they are not a mistake, cursed, or hopeless. They see themselves as beautiful children of God.

Pray and talk to God about your feelings of family and belonging. Picture yourself as Mephibosheth. Consider the ways God has already come to your rescue. Ask God to rescue you from your shame and show you his love for you.