Not Even Solomon

Have you ever experienced that Holy Spirit moment when one Bible verse that has been simmering in your mind suddenly comes alive in the light of another, seemingly unrelated verse of scripture?

This happened to me recently. Our pastor had preached on not worrying, from Matthew 6: 25-33. This is the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus tells the people not to worry about what they will eat or drink or wear, for just as the Father feeds the birds and clothes the flowers, so He will provide what we need. Often we see this only in the context of our physical needs, but the pastor’s words challenged me to consider the meaning of the Matthew verses in light of my spiritual instead of my physical life. In my daily Bible reading the next week, I came across this verse in Isaiah:

I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

What an amazing statement! He clothes me with salvation and righteousness. He does it. Just as He promised in Matthew that He would. Do you sometimes feel like you are standing naked in front of the world, your sinful inner world exposed for all to see? If you are a child of God, He has covered that, clothed you so that you need not be ashamed. As He transforms the inner you from brokenness to wholeness, He covers your wounds, your pain, your shame with robes befitting a bride, complete with garlands and jewels.

And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these . . . for your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. (Matthew 6:28-29, 32)

Next time you feel tattered and naked and exposed to the world, remember that the Lord himself has arrayed you in His finery. It is not bestowed because of any goodness you possess, lest you should boast, but the clothing is yours, just the same. And shouldn’t such clothing give us confidence in the love and provision of our Lord as we live out each day? We don’t wear a sack of dirty, shapeless burlap. We sparkle in the robes of the King of Kings.