Light
“In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (Isaiah 9:1).
It was in Zebulon and Naphtali that the Assyrian conquest began. The shame, trauma, darkness of exile first breached here.
And here God speaks, “But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish” (Isa. 9:1a). In this very area, in the first breach of shame, of trauma, wounds, God speaks and promises. In this very area there is a breach of light. Immanuel comes. As is God, he comes to the first place of hurt, the humbled, the marks of shame.
Zephaniah echoes this thought poignantly: “I will change their shame into praise” (Zeph. 3:19).
Lord, we open our hurts. Our wounds. Our points of shame. The places where it first breached.
Bring your light, O Lord, Savior, Emmanuel.
Change our shame into praise as we bring it into your light--let us be so in awe of your healing hand that we are unashamed, give it to you to use for your praise, your glory, your renown.
Immanuel, come heal, at the very deep, the very first, the very shame.
Yes Lord, come and heal <3 Make us able to fully accept Your healing.
ReplyDeleteThis post reminds me of Boundary work that happens when we recognize how, in this fallen world, our healthy boundaries have been caved in. Healing is needed if we are to have the ability to appropriately say Yes and No to things that would, respectively, help or hurt us. Well stated, Gillian. Emmanuel, God with us, can heal the boundaries that were destroyed by our shame.
ReplyDelete