“…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” (Isaiah 61:3 NKJV)
Someone pointed it out last night in our study; one particular sentence in the group book that I had glossed over. “You will find that you wear depression and oppression like a garment.” (Fasting, Jentezen Franklin) The author goes on to say how our heavy garment will drain the worship right out of our life.
He’s right, you know. I’ve experienced enough loss to be very familiar with the thick cloak of grief that comes along with it. I understand why the mourning used to wear black. The whole world knew that they were wounded, it may as well have been a placard tied about their neck, “please handle with care.”
Jentezen reminds us that praise is the key to our much-needed wardrobe change. In times of depression, oppression and grief, we make the conscientious decision to praise God even though we don’t feel like it. We force heavy hands heavenward and then the miraculous takes over. Our spirits are lifted, the cloak of despair is taken off us and we are re-robed in the garment of praise.
I can’t remember when and I can’t locate it again, but I recall bits and pieces of a sermon from Levi Lusko where he talked about the power of putting his hands up. Something psychological changes within us and we begin to think, even believe that we are a victor, not a victim. Levi shared how he used to go into every sermon in fear and he didn’t find his confidence until near the close of his message. All of that radically changed when he made the concerted effort to all-out participate in worship, right up until the moment he took the stage. Levi is pentecostal, so all-out worship includes hands lifted and prayer language engaged. He realized, after being primed by praise, he was ready to preach with authority and conviction at the very first word.
I didn’t plan it, I just felt it with every cell of my being.
I don’t know what you are wearing today. I don’t know how you feel about your current situation. But I do know that praise changes everything. I needed the reminder and perhaps you could use it, too.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. (Psalm 103:1 NJKV)
We love and serve a God who is ready to hear our everything. He doesn’t ask us to hold back the messy, sad or ugly. He wants us to engage with Him with our entire story. It turns out that we can bless the Lord from a bad place and He can turn it into a better place.
Lord, today we long to swap out our heaviness for Your garment of praise. May we decide to give You glory even when our life is less than glorious. May we offer You the honor You deserve and may our feelings follow our decision to exalt You. Be glorified in our story, no matter the circumstances. Help us find and maintain the victory pose as we align ourselves with Your truth. Amen.