Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Lord God is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and freedom to the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of our God’s vengeance;
to comfort all who mourn,
3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion;
to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
festive oil instead of mourning,
and splendid clothes instead of despair.
And they will be called righteous trees,
planted by the Lord
to glorify him.
Lord, You know how my heart beats with joy and anticipation as I come to these verses in Isaiah. They take me back to a time when You saved my life. It was fall of 2001. The Owens had left, we’d returned from an exhausting furlough, The Swan House was launched to great acclaim, and I was in despair.
And You sent me Beth Moore’s study called Breaking Free. And these verses were the highlights. To show me how to break free of the lies and the depression. Oh, it took a long time, but through Your Word and that study and medication and counselors, I made my way back to health.
So many words in these verses bring joy and comfort and I can say, “Yes! This is true! You are the anointed One who brings good news to the poor, who binds up the broken-hearted, and frees captives and prisoners. I was all of these. Poor, despairing, and imprisoned by depression, and You freed me!”
And then I get to the part about what You give: Your promises. You give comfort to all of those who are mourning. And how this has been true too throughout my life of losses. You provide for the grieving. Yes, yes! And what do you give? A crown of beauty instead of ashes! Festive oil instead of mourning! And splendid clothes instead of despair.
And that’s where I stopped and sucked in my breath this morning. Two words. Splendid clothes. I’m reading in the Christian Standard Bible, a new translation (to me). In the NIV that phrase is ‘garment of praise’. I’ve always loved the picture of how praise clothes us with joy and hope and power and takes away the despair.
But today as I read ‘splendid clothes’, I get tears in my eyes. Paul and I flew back to the States two weeks ago today. Changing countries and homes is always exhausting. Navigating all the ways to pack up one place and settle into the next is daunting. And since we will likely be spending a part of each year back in the States, we decided we didn’t want to keep lugging clothes back and forth. Leave stuff in France. Pare down.
But I need nicer clothes in the US, for speaking engagements and parties and even church. And I have just finished hanging up a whole closet filled with ‘splendid clothes’.
Some my dear mom purchased for me twenty years ago from a high end designer. Amazingly they still fit. Some I purchased for my son’s wedding or another special event years ago. Some came from the missionary clothes closet of a big church in Chattanooga, a clothes closet that looks much more like a fashion boutique where wealthy women have given their finest. And some came from consignment stores, again where beautiful clothes are much cheaper.
But many, many of my splendid clothes come from one of my oldest and dearest friends. We wear the same size (mostly) and throughout the years, she has emptied her closet of gorgeous designer clothes for me. She does it with joy, and I am overwhelmed. Beautiful clothes. Splendid clothes. One of a kind clothes. And my closet in this house that You have provided for us is filled with these clothes.
Today, as I read one of my favorite chapters in Scripture, with all the memories of what each verse and word has meant to me in the past, You shed new light on truth through those old, old words.
You are a God who provides in every way. And just as I now have ‘splendid clothes’ to wear to my literary functions, I also have splendid clothes to replace my rags of despair. And it’s a lifelong change of wardrobe, Lord. You just keep giving me more beautiful clothes, finer clothes, as You strip off the layers of rags I’ve been wearing until I become more and more the me You created me to be.
I think this is part of what sanctification means. It’s not power or success or competition with others. It’s a stripping off, so that the beauty of who we really are down deep shines through. It is a gradual transformation. When I first became Your child, those lovely clothes could not have fit me. They’d be too big, too heavy, too fine for my small frame.
But little by little, as I look more like the Elizabeth I was meant to be, they fit. And oh, I do feel like a princess in my new wardrobe of calm and praise and delight and trust and creativity and compassion and empathy and courage. Little by little I’m able to wear the splendid clothes of Your righteousness.
But first, I had to realize that You’d exchanged my rags, way back when You first rescued me. You said, “I’m covering you, Lizzie, with my splendor and righteousness. I’m purifying you. I wore the rags so you could have the splendid clothes.”
I think it takes a lifetime for us to learn how to wear these clothes, to walk around comfortable in our own skin. And the more we do, the more You shine out though us. Your beauty becomes contagious so that others will see and long to be clothed like us, like me.
January, 2020: Lookout Mountain, Georgia
And how You must smile to see each of us wearing the splendid clothes You have picked out for each of us, all unique and stunning, to wear for Your glory.
Is your soul’s wardrobe filled with ‘splendid clothes’?
Elizabeth Musser 
Elizabeth,
I’ve just finished “ When I close my eyes”. I absolutely loved it. I’ve written this before but your character development is wonderful. I know them; I feel their feelings. I become a character in the story! You hooked me as an author in “Swan House”, and I’ve loved your books ever since. You and susan Meissner. Cannot wait until your new books come out! As an Atlanta born ( old piedmont hospital before it was torn down ) and raised and live now( well Marietta now), I can so relate to your stories. Keep them coming! …and this post I Totally relate to. Thank you !! Lord bless♥️
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