Coming Home - a Devotional for the Prodigal HeartSample

Day Three:

When Shame Won’t Let You Speak

Scripture Focus:
“Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” — Psalm 34:5 (NIV)
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1 (NIV)
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” — John 8:11 (NIV)

Devotional:
Shame doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it whispers—so subtly you don’t even notice it’s there. It shows up in your hesitation to raise your hands during worship. In the way you avoid eye contact when someone asks how you’re really doing. In the belief that yes, God loves people, but maybe not you—not after what you’ve done.

I used to confuse conviction and shame. One draws you back to God. The other convinces you to stay hidden. Conviction says, “There’s something better—come closer.” Shame says, “You should’ve known better—stay away.”

I’ve lived under the weight of that second voice. Even after I’d started to walk with God again. Even after sobriety, church, and prayer became part of my daily rhythm. There were still moments when I’d hear a lie and believe it—just long enough to shrink back. Just long enough to wonder if grace had an expiration date.

That’s why I love the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11). Dragged into public, exposed in her worst moment, surrounded by men holding stones and pretending to be holy. They didn’t see a human. They saw a headline. A cautionary tale. A target.

But Jesus didn’t.

He didn’t rush to fix her. He didn’t demand an apology. He knelt. He wrote in the dirt. He silenced the accusers. And then, He looked her in the eyes and said the words that should echo through every shame-riddled heart: “Then neither do I condemn you.”

He didn’t condone her sin—but He covered her shame. That’s what Jesus does.

Psalm 34:5 says that those who look to Him are radiant. Not guilty. Not disqualified. Not halfway clean. Radiant. Because when you lock eyes with the Savior, your shame has no place to hide.

Romans 8:1 reminds us that there’s no condemnation for those in Christ. None. Not a hint. Not a trace. Not even on your worst day. That means shame is not your inheritance—freedom is.

So if shame is keeping you silent, it’s time to raise your head. Look Him in the eyes. You are not the sum of your failures. You are the one He defended. The one He stooped low for. The one He still calls beloved.

Takeaway:
Jesus didn’t just forgive your past—He silenced the voices that tried to define you by it. Shame loses its grip when you remember whose you are.

Prayer:
Jesus, I’ve let shame write too many chapters in my story. I’ve listened to the voice that says I’m too much, too broken, too far. But today I choose to listen to Yours. The one that says I’m forgiven. Loved. Free. Help me live like someone You’ve already redeemed—and silence every voice that tells me otherwise.

Journal Prompt:
Where has shame kept you silent in your life—spiritually, relationally, emotionally?

What would it feel like to hear Jesus say, “Neither do I condemn you”? Write His words to you today.