So we’re going to read from the book of Zechariah and Zechariah 3 says, starting at verse 2, “‘The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. Is this not a brand prepped from the fire?’ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments standing before the angel, and he spoke instead, ‘Remove the filthy garments for him. See, I have taken your iniquities away from you and will clothe you with festival robes.'”
In this passage, we see that Zechariah is having this vision and Joshua is actually standing before the throne room of God. And as he’s standing there, Satan is rebuking Joshua and accusing him of all these things. And what does God say? The Lord rebuked Satan instead, and He tells them to remove the filthy garments off of Joshua and put on the garments of festivity.
A lot of times in my life, I know for me, I’ve always looked at my filthy garments or my past life, and I say that that disqualifies me from what God is doing today in my life. I’ll be like, I can’t pray for those people, I can’t give a word because I’m not qualified, and I see myself wearing the filthy garments and I don’t recognize that Satan isn’t rebuking me. The truth be told that the Lord on my behalf rebuked Satan. And God doesn’t see me in my filthy garments, but He really sees me in my garments of festivity, the garments of praise.
This passage also reminds me of the prodigal son, right? He’s living with pigs. He smells and he realizes that he can have a better life with his father. And when he goes back to the father’s home, what does his father do? He puts on new robes, he puts a ring on his finger. And a lot of times we still see ourselves as we’re living with the pigs. We still see ourselves as we’re unqualified. But God is saying, “I’ve given you new clothes. You are no longer tied to those old ways.”
And I even had this revelation the other day that recognizing that our past and what we thought disqualifies us is actually our strength. And we see that in Luke when the woman comes before the Lord and anoints His feet and she’s crying out, and the disciples come and are like, “Lord, do you even know who this woman is?” And what does the Lord say? He goes down and ministers to her, and then He says that she has been forgiven much so she can love much.
What you think is your weakness is actually your biggest strength to love people. And so today, I just want to encourage you, and I just want to pray over you and just say, Jesus, we just thank you for what you’re doing. And we just stand and say that we are no longer condemned by our past and what our past is, it doesn’t disqualify us. And Jesus, we thank you for what you’re doing in our lives today. We put on the garments of festivity, our new clothes, we put on that robe, we put on that ring, and we walk knowing that we can love others well because of what we went through with you. Amen.