Change of Raiment (II)

“And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And unto him he said, ‘Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.’” (Zechariah 3:4, 21st Century King James Version).

This is the key Bible verse for our “Come and See” devotional today.

The first part of this Bible verse shows that the loss of one’s divine covering and honour are the consequences of sin. This was confirmed when Jesus Christ took upon Himself all the sins of humanity on the cross of Calvary. The weight of that sin was so burdensome that the death of Jesus on the cross was the only way to atone for it. The Bible states: “then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: ‘They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.’” (Matthew 27:35, New King James Version). Sometimes a person’s spiritual apparel might be forcefully removed or stolen by the enemy and replaced with shame or dishonour. Fortunately, God is committed to reversing these deeds of the enemy as the Bible indicates: “you have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” (Psalms 30:11, New King James Version).

In literal context, the memorable narrative of Joseph in the Bible illustrates how a person’s raiment of beauty can be violently taken away by the enemy (see Genesis 37). Here, his jealous brothers removed his cloth of many colours which represented his unique identity and left him naked in the pit ready to be sold into slavery. The Bible recorded this miserable episode as follows: “so it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colours that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.” (Genesis 37.23-24, New King James Version).

We all need to know that the Almighty God is able to deliver, save and fully restore whatever has been stolen from us by the enemy. We are created in His image and we should all radiate His glory on this earth. In the case of Joseph, the Almighty God restored his glory and clothed him with honour. The Bible recorded his induction as the first Governor of ancient Egypt as follows:  “then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.” (Genesis 41:42, New King James Version).

The power of the Most High can fall upon whatever is bringing shame to your life and can turn the situation around. The anointing of the Holy Spirit that changes lives will bring comfort to everything that is making you mourn, and will clothe you with spiritual garments of praise. “I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible.” (Jeremiah 15:21, New King James Version). When God changes your raiment, your beauty will be visible to everyone.

Let us pray: “Father, beautify my destiny with your Glory,” in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.

This message was brought to you by Evangelical Ministries International (EMI). We know this message has been a blessing to you. Please share your testimonies with us by visiting our website www.evangelicalministries.org or contact us on info@evangelicalministries.org. God bless you!