Bride clothed with strength

"Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength." 

 (Isaiah 52:1) 

Have you ever noticed that living life requires a lot of strength? I bet. We know it all too well. Only this past week I have encountered so many really difficult situations in the lives of people around me and in my own life - loss of a loved one, possible diagnoses of cancer, extreme stress, financial struggles, strained relationships and various other challenges. Yes, life requires strength...but being the bride of Christ requires even more. Why? Because we are called to leave behind our own and old way of living. When we are faced with such difficult situations as I have seen this week, we cannot react in any which way. We cannot deal with them in the same way that the world would...and that requires more than strength...it requires divine strength.


Careful reading of Isaiah 52 gives the bride of Christ several commands. Let's look at them:

1. Awake, awake (v1)
2. Clothe yourself with strength (v1)
3. Put on your garments of splendor (v1)
4. Shake off your dust (v2)
5. Rise up (v2)
6. Sit enthroned (v2)
7. Free yourself from the chains on your neck (v2)
8. Depart, depart, go out from there! (v11)
9. Touch no unclean thing! (v11)
10. Come out from it (v11)
11. Be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD (v11)

These commands made such an impression on me! They cut to the bone...they are strong words! They even start with a double and urgent call to wake up...and does not that imply that the bride is fast asleep? Yes. We are fast asleep to the truth of our identity, the power of the Holy Spirit within, the freedom achieved for us and the necessity of being holy and pure and live according to a new way...God's way!


Talking to a dear friend yesterday we both agreed that handling life's challenges according to God's way is hard...it's just not easy. It asks nothing less of us than to crucify self. Giving up anger for love, vindication for forgiveness, fear and anxiety for faith, defeat and despair for courage and hope and bitterness and resentment towards God for meekness before His permissive will is not child's play. Therefore the call...clothe yourself with strength...divine strength that is. And that strength is available to us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and to the extent that we are willing to submit to Him. When facing any challenge in life we are not to faint from it...we are to clothe ourselves with strength and follow our Groom as He guides us in and through the situation.


I can tell you that whatever He asks will be too much for us in our own capacity, it will be in direct contrast with the worldly and fleshly and natural way to handle it and therefore we are commanded to clothe ourselves in His strength and we will be led to victory!


Whatever it costs us, the victory in Christ will be worth it...Christ Himself, the fullness of the Son of God is our portion and our reward!


Furthermore, Isaiah 52 calls on us to know that we know who we are and to own and live and move in that identity!! Look at these commands - put on your garments of splendor, rise up, sit enthroned...you who carry the vessels of the LORD! When I arise each morning, how do I enter the day? Will it make a difference if I go into my day with the sure knowledge that I am a royal bride, a child of the Most High? Will it cause me to rise up in my identity and face any situation the day may offer, knowing that I have an Almighty Father and Groom whose love and power and provision will not fail me? Yes! Therefore the call...awake, awake to your identity!! Know who you are...know whose you are!


And then dear friend, shake off the dust, free yourself from the chains and come out, depart. Whatever makes up your dust and chains...whatever attitude, addiction, habit, behavior and mindset...FREE YOURSELF. The chains were already broken by Christ...now you free yourself and come out. Depart immediately from where you are. Don't touch the unclean thing whether it is anger, unforgiveness, laziness, fear, worry, sexual immorality, foul language, slander...come out and be pure. Don't hesitate, don't tolerate.


In my own life, when facing a difficult situation I find that my thoughts are my biggest enemy...yet whenever I wake up and realize that I am brooding on the negative, I tell myself: "Stop. I have given this thing to the Lord, I will not tolerate any further negative 'mind-discussion.'" I then deliberately fill my mind with what is good and lovely, with thoughts of my Lord or with song of praise. I depart and come out and refuse to touch that unclean thing!


Isaiah 52 speaks to those who 'carry the vessels of the LORD'. In the Old Testament, the priests carried the vessels of the LORD  but now, we are the vessels of the LORD the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 52 is our wake-up call :-).


Therefore O bride of Christ, let us not sit in the dust or stay bound in chains that Christ has broken, but let us wake up and clothe ourselves with strength! Oh the joy that is ours in Christ!! It's worth it dear brother and sister!!


God bless until next week
Lize