New Wardrobe - February 12, 2012
Played: 34 | Download | Duration: 00:02:39
New Wardrobe
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever! - Psalm 30:11-12
At about age fifteen I got my first ‘real’ job (not that stacking hay bales, putting up oats and caring for livestock on the family farm wasn’t hard work). I was hired as a dishwasher at Mr. Harvey’s restaurant in Portage, Wisconsin. One of my first paychecks afforded me a trip to Eulberg’s Men’s Store in downtown Portage to buy a snappy new sport coat. I’ll never forget that coat because it was one of the first items of clothing I got to pick out and pay for all by myself. And, boy, did I want people to see it. To this day it makes me smile just a little when someone notices that I’m wearing new clothes.
The psalmist would understand that. He writes, ‘You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy... ’ But he doesn’t stop there. The sentence finishes by revealing what these new clothes move him to do, ‘... that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.’
God has given us new clothes and he wants us to show them off. He has turned our mourning into dancing, our pain into triumph, and our loss into gain. So that we might sing praises to him and not be silent! When good things happen to us it’s in our nature to want others to know about it. It’s not an obligation to sing praises to God. It’s not a chore to give him thanks. It’s not a burden he lays on us to be joyful. These are the natural responses to being given something new, awesome and wonderful that we did not earn and do not deserve. Take time today to reflect on all God has done in your life to take away your clothes of mourning and clothe you with joy. Now that’s a fashion statement worth sharing with the world!
Prayer
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever. By your Spirit remind me of all you have done for me in times of struggle and difficulty and may my joy be a witness to you. Amen.
After my husband and my dog died I asked God to only put good people in my new life. Slowly I am being blessed with wonderful Christians. (And anyone from Portage Wisc has to be included. I lived in Stevens Point, Wisc - there is something very special about Wisconsinites!) Thank you for today's devotion.
Reply to this
Hello Tim,
I'm writing to let you know that I very much appreciate the work you put into producing the LCC Daily Devotion. The reading, followed by how it applies to our lives today, and the conclusion with a prayer, have meant so much to me.
They arrive about 4a.m., which is about the time I awake for my day. To have the devotion as the very first thing I read in the morning ratchets up my already positive attitude, and fortifies me if I'm needing that spiritual infusion. Thank you.
I began receiving these devotions after I donated to Jordan Aubrey's relief fund. Jordan is an alumnus of Columbia College Chicago, and I am as well. How is he doing?
Kindest regards,
Charles
Reply to this