“Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.” ACTS 3:16 NLT 

We all are flawed. No one on earth has not committed a sin, made a mistake, or done something they regret. If we don’t know that Jesus forgives sin, it can feel like our mistakes will define us forever, like we’ll never live them down. It’s easy to let weeds of shame grow up and overwhelm us to the point where we feel entirely worthless. 

There is a Healer for our sins, and His name is Jesus. The forgiveness of God overcomes regret and eradicates shame. He wants us to turn away from sin, not be burdened by it forever! 

God is faithful to remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12 NLT), but the enemy keeps track. He loves to throw our sins back in our face and make us doubt we are truly forgiven. He’s constantly on the prowl, hoping we’ll neglect to pull the weeds of shame that choke out God’s truth. 

When evil tries to put down roots, tell him there’s no room in your heart for his lies. In the name of Jesus, remind him that he has no hold on you. You are covered with the blood of Christ. You are forgiven. You are a victor. You are a child of God. Shame and trauma don’t define you; grace does. 

When we surrender our past to God’s grace, we’re released from the burden of brokenness. He immediately pulls every big and ugly weed of shame we’ve allowed to grow. When we follow His purpose and direction, He writes our redemption story, weaving threads of healing and providence throughout. Let go of your shame; God already has. Realize you are healed and whole because of what Jesus Christ has done for you. 

Jesus, thank You for making my brokenness beautiful. Thank You for healing my heart and cleansing me from sin. Help me to remember my identity is in grace, not shame. Protect my heart and mind from the lies of Satan. Amen. 

This is an excerpt from Playing in the Dirt: 90 Devotions for Crazy Plant Ladies – a new devotional journal now available for pre-order on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.