What Are You Wearing Today?

By MrsB :)

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday. In the Church, we know that this day was when the Holy Spirit was poured out (Acts 2), yet this day has a longer history than just the Church age. This day is also called the Feast of Weeks or “Shavuot” in Hebrew, and it was ordained by the Lord as a special day of offering and sacrifice (Lev. 23).

In Israel, it is traditional to read the book of Ruth during the Feast of Weeks/Shavuot because the events in the book occurred at the beginning of the barley harvest, and the Feast of Shavuot takes place during the barley harvest. So in preparing for Pentecost/Shavuot this week, I read through Acts 2, but I also re-read the book of Ruth. You know the story –

A man named Elimelech, his wife, named Naomi, and their two sons left Bethlehem because of a famine and went to live in Moab. While there, Elimelech died, and his two sons married Moabite women. Then the two sons died! Naomi and the two wives were widowed, leaving them all in a desperate situation. Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, as the famine was over, but she encouraged her two daughters-in-law to return to their own mothers in their own country.

Orpah returned to her family, but Ruth wanted to stay with Naomi. Ruth went on to demonstrate her love for Naomi by gleaning grain from the fields of Boaz, and the rest of the story revolves around Naomi realizing that Boaz could be Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer and how that did come to pass.

But a verse stood out to me: Naomi told Ruth how to make herself known to Boaz. Naomi told Ruth to, “Wash yourself, therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes…” Ruth 3:3. Other verses about garments came to mind when I read this. In Isaiah 61, the Lord Jesus is speaking about what He has been anointed to do, and one of them was to give the children of Israel “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3). And Revelation 19 says: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean…”
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Ruth decided to follow the One True God and begin a new life. She put on her best clothes in order to be known by Boaz. Is there something here for us today? How are we to conduct ourselves in order to be known by others? What are our “best clothes” as believers in Jesus?

Paul encourages us: “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience" (Col. 3:12). As we reflect on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost/Shavuot this week, let’s ask the Lord to give us garments of praise, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. If we do this, we will be known by the world as those who are following the One True God and who have begun a new life in Jesus the Messiah.

Prayer:
Lord, I ask You to give me a heightened awareness of how I clothe myself this week. Give me eyes to see that my “garments” are not merely external, but ones that show Your character to the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Challenge:
As you put on your garments this week, think of “putting on” praise, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These are all manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Thank the Lord for filling you with His Holy Spirit so that you can walk in His ways before your God, your family, and the world.

MrsB. :) 2011