He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
If you have been following this 31-day series from Weary to Worship, this devotional word study is designed to inspire weary mamas to find soul refreshment and become centered on God’s promises in the mess and mundane.
The past two weeks, we have taken a look at waiting on the Lord and how to wait well; also what it means to come out of hiding Vs. being hidden in Christ.
This third week in our series, we will be spending time with our good Shepherd, the one who carried our sins and bore our shame. The reason we can take courage in showing our scars is because the only one who truly bears them is Jesus.
The word for “bear” as it is used in 1 Peter 2:24 in the Greek is anaphero, meaning literally “to take up”—bear or bring, as in to carry, or offer up.
When Jesus carried that old rugged cross along the Via Dolorosa, he carried our sins along with him. When Christ laid down on the splintered beams to be nailed by his hands and feet, he offered up his own body as the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins.
He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls. {1 PETER 2:24 MSG}
He is the Shepherd who carries us in our weakness and renews our strength. This Shepherd carries your little lambs in his arms as he cares for you as a mother, leading and guiding your path. He lifts you up and takes up your burdens when you bring them to him. He is the lifter of your weary head.
We are weary of hiding in shame and working to keep up the image of being okay, when God wants us to find courage by hiding ourselves in His love. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear (1 John 4:8). As we are hidden in the shelter of his strength, we know that in our weakness His glory is revealed.
Some days it takes courage just to rise out of bed and face the day. Sometimes our weariness comes from fatigue caused by fear that paralyzes and pins us down. Fear-driven fatigue holds us back from becoming fully ourselves. 1 John 2:28 says we are children of God and we can take courage in knowing that!
God is illuminating what it means to wait on the Lord. He is unveiling the mystery of being hidden in Christ. We are learning confident trust as we wait in him and gain boldness to come out of hiding. In our weariness and waiting, we learn to hide ourselves in the shadow of His wing as the Lord gives us courage to do his will.
I want you to know that I have been praying for you, my friend. I have been amazed how others are beginning to engage with this series and respond with such overwhelming affirmations.
I hope you will join us for the rest of the series from Weary to Worship. If you would like to have each daily devotional sent straight to your inbox, please click here to subscribe.
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