From the time I was a small child I knew that the only way to be saved was by grace through faith, yet I didn’t truly understand what that meant. I was saved at the age of 15, but walked away from the Lord in my twenties. It was only after that “prodigal daughter” period when I returned to the Lord with my whole heart that I truly understood the concept of grace.
Recently I had the privilege of hearing The Promise Quartet debut their new CD. The Promise Quartet is a group of local young (young, like me…in our 30’s and 40’s..don’t frown at me…that is still young!!) men who have been gifted musically and the Lord is using them in an awesome way to minister through their music. One of the songs on their CD absolutely brought me to my knees as I listened because it is truly my story in song. As I listened to this song over and over, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that these may be words that someone reading this is desperate to hear in their heart.
The title of this song is “Let Me Introduce You to Grace” and it was written by Sue Smith, Jonathan Crumpton, and Joel Lindsay. I don’t know any of these three writers but they obviously have experienced the grace of Christ in abundant measure and perhaps they have walked a similar road to mine. I am so thankful that they followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and penned these words:
VERSE 1: “You met disappointment a long time ago. You’ve become acquainted with despair. Blame and accusation have followed after you, and guilt is right beside you everywhere.”
CHORUS: “Let me introduce you to the One who wants to help you. Who will love and not condemn in spite of all your past mistakes. Although you may feel unworthy and you’ve given up on mercy. Let me introduce you to grace.”
VERSE 2: “Once I felt so worthless because of my past, and painful memories I could not outrun. I have known the heartache of counting every shame till grace said it forgot what I had done.”
CHORUS: “Let me introduce you to the One who wants to help you. Who will love and not condemn in spite of all your past mistakes. Although you may feel unworthy and you’ve given up on mercy. Let me introduce you to grace. Although you may feel unworthy and you’ve given up on mercy. Let me introduce you to grace. Grace, grace, God’s grace. Let me introduce you to grace.”
Dear friend, I have known the heartache of counting every shame, but PRAISE JESUS, grace does forget what I had done!!! The grace of Christ allows our Father to completely and totally forget our sin. The key is that we must ask Him to forgive us and we must turn from that sin.
Shame is Satan’s game and you and I, as Christians, don’t have to play his game. If you are struggling with shame over your past, I encourage you to allow the grace of Jesus Christ to wipe away your shame and replace it with joy and peace.
