Receiving the Garment of Praise

I heard a loud crash come from the other room—the kind where you’re scared to go look because you’re not sure just how bad the damage is going to be.

When I turned on the light, I was glad to find it was just my closet shelf and clothes rod that broke away from the wall and fell. However, everything was spewed out of my closet and into the floor. Yet, in the midst of the mess, I was thankful it wasn’t worse than it had sounded.

I then began to throw all of my clothes on the bed and remove what was left in the closet, so it could be fixed, even though I knew I would have to sort out the mess later.

And now that the closet is fixed, I’m going through everything and reorganizing it all. I’m arranging it by seasons, getting rid of what no longer fits or is needed, and making a pile to give away.

And while doing so, I began to think about how life gets heavy from time to time—and we may even reach a breaking point—because we hold onto spiritual, emotional and physical garments in life longer than we should.

To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” -Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV).

But, we can always evaluate the spiritual, emotional and physical garments in our life by asking questions, such as: What’s for this season, and what’s not? What to keep holding on to, and what to let go of? What no longer fits, and what has been outgrown? 

And then, one-by-one we can place our heavy garments at the Lord’s feet.

“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:30 (NKJV).

Because we don’t have to wait until everything comes crashing down around us.