“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10 (ESV) “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my judgment was as a robe and diadem.” –Job 29:14 (ESV)
The idea for this devotional came to me when a friend sent me an e-mail with this title: “God knows how to dress a bird.” Attachments to the e-mail showed fourteen photographs of exotic birds, their feathers brilliant in color, their plumage bright and beautiful, a reflection indeed of the Creator’s attention to detail and focus on perfection. And then the thought came to me: “Yes, God knows how to clothe the birds of the air. But He also knows how to clothe you and me!” It took me only a few minutes using a Bible concordance to find verses that declare how, indeed, God clothes His children in righteousness. The Spirit of the Living God was a good teacher in this pursuit, showing how I am “clothed in the garments of righteousness.” He reminded me that my garments (any righteousness that I would try to clothe myself in) are as “filthy rags”: “But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6, KJV). Herein we realize our deplorable condition, our “filthy rags” dress. And what are we to do? God provided a way: “But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand” (Isaiah 64:8, KJV). God wants to clothe each of us in the beautiful, pristine garments of righteousness. It is His gift to each of us, the work of His hand in our life. It is simply accepting what He has prepared for each who will believe and accept the beautiful ‘garments of salvation’ and ‘robe of righteousness’ that He offers freely. Jesus has already paid the price for our being clothed. Paul explained the way this happens: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV).
God’s garment of righteousness—salvation—is available, awaiting our acceptance. Job, in his chagrin and when accused by his friends of being a terribly sinful man, else he would not have lost all his possessions and family, said in a very determined declaration: “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my judgment was as a robe and diadem” (Job 29:14, ESV). God’s righteousness is available, but each of us must decide on our own to “put on righteousness.” Only then comes beautiful adorning, the judgment of God’s “robe and diadem” for each of us, to clothe us in that unparalleled righteousness of God that will remain permanent and imperishable. But the believer has a further obligation. While living upon earth, we must keep on dressing in robes of righteousness that we ourselves must choose to don. Paul the Apostle instructed us in this spiritual action in several of his letters. From one citation we learn, as did Job of old, that we who have God’s robe of righteousness must ourselves: “Put on, then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you have been called in one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15, ESV) Indeed, God knows how to dress the birds! He knows how to clothe His children in righteousness, and we can put on daily those virtues that make righteousness glow and shine in a world in great need of godly beauty. With Edward Mote, author of our beloved hymn, “The Solid Rock,” we sing: “Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before His throne!”
The idea for this devotional came to me when a friend sent me an e-mail with this title: “God knows how to dress a bird.” Attachments to the e-mail showed fourteen photographs of exotic birds, their feathers brilliant in color, their plumage bright and beautiful, a reflection indeed of the Creator’s attention to detail and focus on perfection. And then the thought came to me: “Yes, God knows how to clothe the birds of the air. But He also knows how to clothe you and me!” It took me only a few minutes using a Bible concordance to find verses that declare how, indeed, God clothes His children in righteousness. The Spirit of the Living God was a good teacher in this pursuit, showing how I am “clothed in the garments of righteousness.” He reminded me that my garments (any righteousness that I would try to clothe myself in) are as “filthy rags”: “But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6, KJV). Herein we realize our deplorable condition, our “filthy rags” dress. And what are we to do? God provided a way: “But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand” (Isaiah 64:8, KJV). God wants to clothe each of us in the beautiful, pristine garments of righteousness. It is His gift to each of us, the work of His hand in our life. It is simply accepting what He has prepared for each who will believe and accept the beautiful ‘garments of salvation’ and ‘robe of righteousness’ that He offers freely. Jesus has already paid the price for our being clothed. Paul explained the way this happens: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV).
God’s garment of righteousness—salvation—is available, awaiting our acceptance. Job, in his chagrin and when accused by his friends of being a terribly sinful man, else he would not have lost all his possessions and family, said in a very determined declaration: “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my judgment was as a robe and diadem” (Job 29:14, ESV). God’s righteousness is available, but each of us must decide on our own to “put on righteousness.” Only then comes beautiful adorning, the judgment of God’s “robe and diadem” for each of us, to clothe us in that unparalleled righteousness of God that will remain permanent and imperishable. But the believer has a further obligation. While living upon earth, we must keep on dressing in robes of righteousness that we ourselves must choose to don. Paul the Apostle instructed us in this spiritual action in several of his letters. From one citation we learn, as did Job of old, that we who have God’s robe of righteousness must ourselves: “Put on, then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you have been called in one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15, ESV) Indeed, God knows how to dress the birds! He knows how to clothe His children in righteousness, and we can put on daily those virtues that make righteousness glow and shine in a world in great need of godly beauty. With Edward Mote, author of our beloved hymn, “The Solid Rock,” we sing: “Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before His throne!”
