When we are treated like nothing, it is easy to think and act as if we were nothing too. See what God himself says: “Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you“ (Isaiah 52:1).

Here, we understand that people were numb (as usually happens to the person suffering for a long time, they become anaesthetised and get used to the problem). The people were also weak and dressed as indigent. Do you know when the person is depressed and doesn’t want to take care of their hygiene? That’s how the people were. God was also talking about the foreign peoples who had stepped on them (as it usually happens nowadays when people mistreat or take advantage of us).

He continues (look what a beautiful Word): “Shake yourself from the dust, arise; sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!” (Isaiah 52:2). In other words, the people were like prisoners, that person thrown into the dust. And God calls the people out of that situation. They must tear off the chains from their arms, necks and feet. In other words, God says He will take the people for the proper position.

The person who feels that way thinks they’re not capable. They can’t clean the house, wear clean clothes or do personal hygiene. You may have presented yourself as a person who has no value. But it’s not that you don’t have it. Because you’ve been treated like this for so long, you’ve taken on this role. This manifests itself in our posture, in the fallen countenance, the shoulders drop, you already wake up tired, with no motivation, because of this thought: I’m nothing, I don’t deserve it. You start to express this in negative words (“I can’t” or “it’s no use trying”). You keep asking for forgiveness for talking to people. You apologise for opening your mouth: “So-and-so, sorry to bother you”. Pay attention: do you know the reason why you apologise? Because you’re loaded with guilt, you’re worth nothing and a hindrance to people’s lives. You don’t try anything more daring or challenging because you think you will fail.

What did God say to the people? He told them to wake up. So, wake up! Shake the dust from your body! Put on your best clothes! Take care of yourself! Raise your head! Put strength in your voice! Because you aren’t nothing. You may have been treated like nothing, but God treats you as the most precious thing in this world! He bought you with the life of His own Son, the Lord Jesus. Send away this false thought that you have no value. Check out the entire message in the video above.