Change of Clothes

A change of clothes rarely does anything to change us. Oh, we may feel better by putting on comfortable or fancy clothing, but inside we are still the same person. And yet, scripture likens the new creation that God makes of those who trust him to a change of clothes. We put take off and put aside our old nature of selfishness, greed, lust, etc. and God puts on us a new nature of love, patience, peace, hope, joy, and Christ likeness.

I Peter 2:1-3 says, “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the LORD is good.” God makes new creations of those who trust in Him. Therefore, we put take off and put aside the old clothing of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. And we take in the nourishment of God’s Word, because we know that God is good.

Darkness Into Light

I have often found myself disoriented in a dark room. I cannot see the exit or a light switch. The inability to see a solution, does not, of course, mean that the solution does not exist. It is just that I can’t see it at the time.

I Samuel 16:1 says, “The LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.'” Even in our saddest moments, God already has a plan in motion to become the solution that we need and that we seek.

Carrying the Load

My wife and I have participated in recovery efforts after natural disasters in many parts of the country. A normal part of this process is moving things out of the damaged property so that the actual recovery can begin. Sometimes, we carried very heavy loads. Many of us carry heavy loads from life experiences that have damaged our bodies, minds, emotions, and feelings. God wants to do the full disaster recovery process in our lives.

Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” The word burden here means one’s circumstances, anxieties, or lot in life. We can give these over to God because He is able and willing to uphold the believer through the struggles of life. He can make all things new.

What About This Area?

Most of us are motivated to do our best in most areas of our lives. We give our best efforts to our families, in order to make sure that relationships are strong, and everyone feels valuable. We work hard at our jobs to further our careers and serve our employer well. But, if we are honest, we do allow some areas of our lives to receive less than our best efforts. It seems so easy to let the lawn grow another week rather than mow it today. It is also easy to skip meeting with God on a daily basis or just let someone else to help the person in need.

II Corinthians 8:7 says, “But as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you – see that you excel in this act of grace also.” It is good to do our best in our work, family, and faith. But how much better would it be for the world and for us, if we also did our best to extend grace. God does not withhold grace from us, how can we withhold grace through forgiveness, help, comfort, and love?

Broad Promises

When we buy a new product, a warranty is available to us. Most of us do not read these documents until we need to exercise the warranty. If we did read the warranty, we probably would not understand them. God gives us a greater guarantee.

In Hebrews 10:16-17 God’s Spirit says, “‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,’ then he adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.'” By God’s Spirit, Christ followers now have the power to know and do God’s will. The Holy Spirit teaches and reminds us God’s will and then empowers us to do it. In addition, our Heavenly Father promises to never remember our sins.