June 16, 2026 Devo

June 16th, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
“I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.” – Isaiah 61:10 (NLT)
“The Wardrobe of God”

The Bible has a lot of images and metaphors that it uses to describe our lives, both before and after God transforms us. One of those is the use of garments and clothing. Notice how Isaiah describes it today. “Clothing of salvation.” “Draped in a robe of righteousness.” Like a “bridegroom dressed for his wedding” or a “bride with her jewels.” All of those create images for us. They all give the impression that our lives ought to have a “holy attraction” to them. We ought to radiate with the changes God has made in our lives. But is that truly the “clothing” we’re wearing?
Remember when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11? It was one of the greatest of Jesus’ miracles. Lazarus’ sisters led Jesus to the tomb, and Jesus had them roll away the stone that covered the entrance. They hesitated, because after being 4 days dead, they knew Lazarus would stink! But they did it. Then Jesus says, “Lazarus, come out!” To everyone’s amazement, he did! There he was, wrapped in strips of cloth from head to foot. Jesus then speaks these words, “Unwrap him, and let him go!”
Stop there for a moment. Can you imagine, as they take the cloth off of his head, Lazarus saying, “You know, Jesus, I just got these grave cloths broken in. They're nice and snug in all the right places. How about if I just keep on wearing them?” I know. That sounds stupid, doesn’t it? Why in the world would someone raised from the dead, want to keep wearing soiled, smelly, grave cloths when they could be wearing fresh, new, beautiful clothes of the living? Why indeed? But that’s what we do sometimes, isn’t it? God offers the opportunity to put on the garments of His Spirit, made in the likeness of His Son, and yet we sometimes still cling to those garments of the grave that we ought to be throwing away.
Can I offer you some of this “new clothing” today? Listen to the words of Paul in Colossians 3. “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body, you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” – Colossians 3:12-15 (NLT). Why not try on a few garments from the wardrobe of God and give a fresh look to YOUR life today. In case you haven’t noticed, those grave clothes really do stink! That’s God’s Word for you today.