Garments

She couldn't open her eyes to look Him in the face. She hoped if they were closed tight enough she could disappear within herself. The girl knew what she looked like, and she couldn't stand to see disappointment on His face. Her garment hung loosely from her body, it resembled a rag more than it did a dress.

Stained.

Dirty.

Foul.

The girl knew it was a mistake to come, and she turned to run. He caught her arm with ease and refused to let go. With His other hand He gently touched her face as if to invite her to open her eyes. Tears of shame and guilt began to fall down her cheek and onto His hands. Neither of them spoke. After a long moment of silence, she forced herself to look at Him. Their eyes met. He smiled and embraced her. As He released her, she caught a glimpse of something white. The girl looked down and saw that a garment without stain and without filth now covered her.

She was clean.

The tears returned. She couldn't believe His grace, His love, His mercy.

He embraced her again and asked her to dance.
_________________________________________________
A few months ago I was praying over a beautiful young woman, and I was struck with this image of the girl believing that she was still clothed in the filthy garments. She felt that God was ashamed of her. All I could do was beg God for the woman to look down and see that she was clothed in a new garment. A garment that was pure and white. I begged that she would know that God dances over her and delights in her for His sake and glory.

We find ourselves again and again in the stained state of shame and guilt. We believe that we've disappointed Him and that His love and grace are fleeting. The bible points us to Christ and proves that our thoughts are entangled in a web of lies.

"Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord. I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord. " Jeremiah 2:12-14 (ESV)

"And the Lord said to Satan, The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! Even the Lord, Who [now and habitually] chooses Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this [returned captive Joshua] a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the Angel [of the Lord]. And He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And He said to [Joshua], Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel. And I [Zechariah] said, Let them put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the Lord stood by." Zechariah 3:2-5 (AMP)

"Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:"Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:14-17 (ESV)

If you are in Christ, He has made you clean and covered your shame with His Son's blood. Look down. Return to Him. Believe that you are clean. Rejoice in His grace and live for His glory.