Month: December 2014

New Clothes: Innerwear

~ seeingeternity

In this season of heavy shopping and lots of new clothes, here’s an interesting contrast in “innerwear”. We can be:

Clothed with joy. (Ps 30:11)

Clothed with gladness. (Ps 65:12)

Clothed with God’s righteousness. (Ps 132:9, Is 61:10)

Clothed with strength. (Prov 31:25, Is 51:9, Is 52:1)

Clothed with dignity. (Prov 31:25)

Clothed with salvation. (Is 61:10, 2 Chron 6:41, Ps 132:16)

Clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)

Clothed with [the Lord Jesus] Christ. (Gal 3:7, Rom 13:14)

Clothed with humility. (1 Pet 5:5, Col 3:12)

Clothed with compassion. (Col 3:12)

Clothed with kindness. (Col 3:12)

Clothed with gentleness. (Col 3:12)

Clothed with patience. (Col 3:12)

When we’re properly clad it shows! And this is how the world responds:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”‘” (Zech 8:23)

(Note that it’s not “we like the orderly way you live” or “you make really good decisions.” It’s “we have heard that GOD is with you.”)

The alternative doesn’t sound so great:

Clothed in shame. (Job 8:22, Ps 35:26, Ps 132:18)

Clothed with disgrace. (Ps 35:26, Ps 109:29)

Clothed with despair. (Ez 7:27)

Clothed with terror. (Ez 26:6)

Clothed with gloom. (Ez 31:15)

Clothed with violence. (Ps 73:6)

Clothed with cursing. (Ps 109:18)

I think it’s time for many of us to update our wardrobes–NOT through “New Year’s Resolutions” to change our behaviors, but through spending more time with God.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

© 2014 Deborah Morris

Questions or Comments?

Using Words as Stones

~ seeingeternity

This morning I was thinking about a friend who has suffered deeply over her lifetime from words being hurled at her like knives or stones, leaving gashes and bruises on her soul.

And I was thinking how even in the Church we sometimes try to heal a wounded heart with cheap words (“God won’t give you more than you can handle!”), nice to hear but about as sustaining as potato chips.

Jesus didn’t do that. He often sidestepped obvious issues–and sometimes even direct questions!–to speak to people’s hearts. The crowd seeking Jesus in Capernaum (Jn 6)… the rich young ruler (Mt 19)…. the adulterous woman (Jn 8)… they all got very different responses than they expected. Words made alive by the Holy Spirit had, and have, the power to heal and transform lives.

The people in our lives need more from us than potato chip words. May it be our constant prayer that our lips will be wellsprings of life to those around us.

“To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.” (Prov 16:1)

© 2014 Deborah Morris

Questions or Comments?