Adorn Me, Lord!

“Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of the godly!
Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
Let them praise his name with dancing,
    making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.
Let the godly exult in glory;
    let them sing for joy on their beds.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats
    and two-edged swords in their hands.” Psalm 149:1-6

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator…

“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.” Colossians 3:8-10,12-14

The psalmist describes the beautiful sounds and sight of the people God adorns with salvation, his song a lovely piece of joy, movement, and praise. Paul describes the same new self in more practical terms, logically enumerating what the humble and holy must put off and put on. The Lord on high cares how His people present themselves to reflect His graces and excellencies here on earth.

In choosing our daily dress, heavenly adornment is the way to go. Since the Lord has clothed me with righteousness and salvation, my accessories are praise, joy, and song. Beginning the day with psalms sets us thinking aright, and fits us with garb worthy of our Maker, Savior, and King.

There are certain behaviors unbecoming of our Sovereign and His children we must not just softly shrug, but shake off definitively, if we are to be adorned with glory. By God’s Spirit we can put away, forever, unchecked emotions that torque attitudes and trip up our tongues in unfiltered chatter. We must say no to practices that offend God’s holiness, ruin our witness, and unsettle our resolve and desire and keep us enslaved to sin. Instead of conforming to the world, daily renewing our minds in God’s word reorders our thoughts, which translates to refurbished vocabulary and habits. (Romans 12:1-2)

Identifying what dishonors the Lord and is a blatant disobedience to His word is key to dressing rightly. What godless emotions, reactions, and practices are necessary to strip out of my life? Am I willing to do so? In order to remain faithful as God’s chosen one, what will I put on instead? Where and with whom can I intentionally exercise compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience? To whom has God asked me to extend forgiveness and love? A daily ritual of praising God, renewing my mind in His word, and clothing myself with His character refines the image of the Creator.

Father, may those I encounter see my adornment is You, and all that is good and points to You.