3.280 Put on Thy Beautiful Garments

In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, reminding us that our lives are meant to preserve, illuminate, and point others to Him. This season on Savory Salt, we'll walk through the Old Testament, one verse and one thought each day. Perhaps these moments will add greater savor and brighter light to our lives as we seek to truly live as Savory Salt.

Hello, my friends. It's a new day with new opportunities. Choose ye this day whom you will serve.

Are we all familiar with the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes"? It's a classic children's tale told years and years ago about an emperor who has some men come to sell him some new clothes. The story of the emperor being convinced to put on these false clothes and yet living a world where others too scared to give him the information simply bend over to his will and admire him in his non new clothes.

What does this have to do with our readings this week? Well, hopefully I make that connection here as we're reading Isaiah 50 through 57 this week. We're going to stay inside of Isaiah 52 for a couple of days here.

Even though we've got the shorter reading schedule here, there's some beautiful verses. And can I just make a note again? I know I've mentioned it a week or two ago, but Isaiah really is beautiful language.

I'm getting better at connecting these verses and seeing just how much Isaiah writes about our Savior Jesus Christ. You are going to notice the connection from yesterday because we have another call to action right off the beginning of it. It says this: The Holy City.

This is such a beautiful call to action for us. Wake up, you, me, both of us, all of us. Awake, awake, and put on thy strength, O Zion.

Put on thy beautiful garments. One, I think this is absolutely a symbolic connection to our temple covenants that we can make. As Isaiah knows he's working with a covenant people, a temple-going covenant people, the people of Israel.

But there's something about these beautiful garments that made me think about "The Emperor's New Clothes." In the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes," it's a false beauty. Everyone says these non-existent clothes are amazing and beautiful. And I've had some people talk very similarly about the temple garments that I've worn since going through for myself and making those temple covenants.

But the garment that comes through our temple experiences are not like "The Emperor's New Clothes." They are real. They are beautiful. They are a symbol of Jesus Christ and the covenants that I made with Him.

And so I resonate with this call to action here to wake up and put on my strength and put on the beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the Holy City. My friends, making covenants with our Heavenly Father, through our Savior Jesus Christ, is a wonderful path for us. And these beautiful garments that we have the opportunity to put on, literally and symbolically, are steps that can help lighten our loads, can help us have the strength to go forth, and ultimately keep us clean in the day that the Lord returns again.

That's all for today, my friends. You and I have come here for such a time as this. Step forward in faith and let's be Savory Salt. We will be here tomorrow and we hope you are too.