A Garment of Praise

Isa 61:3…..a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair….

To counter the effects of despair, loneness, rejection, depression, self-pity - to name just a few - the Bible has an excellent remedy. It is found in the above quoted verse from the book of Isaiah. The Word tells us that we are to put on a ‘garment of praise’ whenever we experience a spirit of despair around us. Now because of Jesus and His redemptive work on our behalf, we can boldly put on ‘a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair’.

It is good to know that we can put on a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair but how exactly are we to do that? Let us examine briefly the phrase ‘garment of praise’.

Praise
Praise is a verb, meaning it is an action word. Praise is defined as ‘to say good things about; to approve’. In prayer people usually praise the Lord. We praise the Lord by extolling the virtues of the Lord, by recounting His mercies towards us, etc.

How we can have a ‘garment of praise’.
True praise should not be mere words uttered by lips. The word says “garment of praise” (emphasis mine). Obviously, God does not seek to praise himself. We are to praise Him and the praise is to be like a garment to us. Our praises are to be in the form of a garment.

What is a garment?
A garment is prepared by interweaving thousands of threads in a special way. There is much effort behind the making of a garment. The quality of the threads and the distance between the threads determine the ultimate quality, and value of the garment.

A garment provides you with protection from the elements. The thicker the garment is, the better the protection from the chill, storm and cold. A garment can cover your body. The extent it covers your body depends on the size of the garment.

Garment of Praise
It is the same when you are creating a garment of praise. When you praise the Lord, you may begin to praise with just your lips. Often praise is a sacrifice because you will not feel like praising especially when facing a trial (Heb 13:15)[a]. But as you continue to press in with your praises as you recollect the blessings you have enjoyed from the Lord, and the forgiveness you have received while still a sinner and above all your election as a child of God, your heart will overflow with gratitude. Then you can advance to the higher realms of praise. You will discover it is possible to praise the Lord even for the most distressing situations you are facing. The spirit of despair will be lifted off you and instead you will be covered with a blanket (garment) of praise. Now as you wait for the Lord[b], you can trust Him to make your way smooth[c].

Footnotes:
a. Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name (emphasis mine)

b. Psalms 27.14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

c. Isaiah 26:7 The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.