Forgiven, Not Condemned: What Jesus Says About Shame—Hearing Jesus Daily Devotional
The world will try to define us by our struggle. Addicted. Unemployed. Overweight. Don’t allow your struggle to become your identity.
As we respond to Jesus and His love for us, our identity will start to change as we see ourselves the way He sees us. Dear one. Loved. What labels do you need to lay down today?
SHE HEARS CHAPTER 3
The Woman Caught in Sin
When you feel like your worst moment is the only thing people see, it can be easy to believe that God sees you the same way. Shame, guilt, and public failure have a way of branding us in the eyes of others—and sometimes even in our own minds. That’s exactly where we meet the woman caught in adultery in John 8.
This woman wasn’t just struggling with sin; she was being used. The religious leaders dragged her into the public square not because they cared about holiness, but because they wanted to trap Jesus. She was a pawn in their plan, and in front of a crowd, she stood exposed, humiliated, and afraid. It’s easy to gloss over this, but this wasn’t a private moment—it was her worst day, weaponized for someone else’s agenda.
But Jesus did something radical.
Instead of entering into the religious performance or getting caught in their trap, He stooped low. He met her where she was. And then He made a clear, unforgettable statement: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.” One by one, the accusers disappeared. Jesus stood with her. He saw her, not just her sin. And then He spoke what may have been the first words of hope she’d heard in a long time: “Neither do I condemn you.”
That one sentence has the power to change everything.
If you’ve ever felt like your past disqualifies you from God’s love—or if others have tried to define you by your failure—this moment in Scripture is for you. Jesus doesn’t sweep sin under the rug, but He does something far more powerful: He deals with it in love. He offers forgiveness without shame and calls us forward into freedom.
In a world that wants to define women by what they’ve done or what’s been done to them, Jesus sees us for who we really are—and who we can become.
He doesn’t condemn us. He invites us into something better.
If you’re wrestling with guilt, shame, or feeling stuck in your story, know this: Jesus still stoops low. He still writes in the dirt. And He’s still offering freedom instead of condemnation.
You are more than your worst moment.
You are seen.
You are known.
You are loved.
And Jesus is still standing with you.
Explore the full week of podcast episodes about the Woman Caught in Adultery at Hearing Jesus
pray with me
Jesus,
You see us—fully, completely, and without shame. In the moments when we feel exposed, judged, or defined by our worst mistakes, remind us that You are still stooping low to meet us with grace. Thank You for offering mercy instead of condemnation, and for calling us into freedom instead of fear. Help us to receive Your love, to let go of the shame that clings to us, and to walk forward in the new life You offer. We are not our past. We are Yours.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
