Isaiah 61

Isaiah 61:3:
 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

Jack Hayford Files

“The Glorious Garment of Praise, PRAISE AND WORSHIP. The Hebrew root for “garment” (‘atah) shows praise as more than a piece of clothing casually thrown over our shoulders. It literally teaches us “to wrap” or “cover” ourselves—that the garment of praise is to leave no openings through which hostile elements can penetrate. This garment of praise repels and replaces the heavy spirit. This special message of instruction and hope is for those oppressed by fear or doubt. “Put on” this garment. A warm coat from our closet only resists the cold wind when it is “put on.” When distressed, be dressed—with praise! Act according to God’s Word!”
― Jack Hayford, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word, New King James Version

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Is 61:10:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

​One thing I’ve always loved is sitting back and watching a good football game. And I especially love watching games where it’s raining and the field looks like a pigsty. You can always tell who gets the most playing time by looking at whose uniform is the muddiest!

But imagine if one of those players, caked in mud, so dirty you can’t even see the numbers on his jersey, walked off the field without even changing and tried to get a table at a nice steakhouse. Now, I don’t think they’d let him in, do you? No, he’d be thrown out!
And apart from Christ, that’s a small glimpse of how we would appear before God. If we stand in his presence in our own righteousness, we too will be thrown out. I wouldn’t trust the best 10 minutes I’ve ever lived to get me into heaven because my good works are not enough!

But that’s why there’s grace. The Bible says that when we trust in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, our old garments are taken off and we are given new robes of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). So when you put on God’s garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness by trusting in Christ, you will receive the righteousness of Jesus and will be faultless when you stand before the Father’s throne.

Taken from “Removing the Dirty Garments and Putting on God’s Righteousness” by Power Point Ministries (used by permission).

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