No Nudes Here Please ♡♡♡

Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame" - Revelations 16:15

Believe it or not, I have had weird dreams a few times in the past, where I find myself in less or almost no clothes, in the midst of a lot of people. Me there, trying to hide from peering eyes, so they don't see me in that state of vulnerability. I wake up and although it's only a dream, I am so thankful it is not real - phew. I then pray and ask God if the dream is relevant to something in my life, that I need to address or deal with. Or something that I am ashamed about. Anyhoo the point is, no form of nakedness is pleasant. Literally or figuratively. Along with it comes shame, fear, anxiety; especially when it's in a negative light. You feel exposed, you feel embarrassed, you feel shame, and for some that's just putting it mildly.

I love how our focal scripture from revelation, stumbled on this week, puts it. The scripture is saying that Jesus will come again like a thief [Matt 24:43, 1st Thessalonians 5:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:4, 2 Peter 3:10 all echo the same things]. Why in the thievery? I have no idea :) -----> That is; He would return when we least expect Him to. Let that sink in for a moment. Nobody ever get's a notice that thier home will be burgled into. Consider the shock and state of the victims, after the thievery. Some go on to deal with the trauma of it for a very long time. What is further intriguing about the scripture is when it goes on to say that "Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame" - OOPssss - naked? who? what?

As I pondered on this scripture. It suddenly dawned on me the implication of God giving us a "garment" and asking us to keep it. You can read Rich Robes, Clean Turban a post I shared few weeks ago, to elaborate on what this garment truly represents]. People deal with varying degrees of guilt and shame. Someone that has probably only ever done one horrible thing in thier life for example; could be less burdened compared to someone else who has probably done some of the most outrageous things in the world. Consider in  other cases also, a person probably guilty of a few things in thier entire life, carrying a huge burden of guilt as though they'd done even so much more worse than the most horrible of all sinners. Each heart deals differently, and for different reasons. The point is guilt and shame is a baddy, and the garment God provides is a leveler :). 

If we were to walk around in our own garment of righteousness, you can be sure that there would be varying degrees of shame. Infact scripture calls it "filthy rags" Isaiah 64:6 Ouch.  Praying so badly you do get my drift. So in order to avoid premium tears on Jesus's return, you would agree with me that on our part, there MUST be an active watching and a keeping of garments. Do you see how God's got our backs for real? Only a real friend will warn us away from the vulnerable state of shame. From the vulnerable state of feeling exposed. From the vulnerable state of peering eyes that have nothing but only "eew eew" to let out. I mean, Jesus solves the problem --------->. I give you my garment, you keep watch and continue in the keeping of it, till my return? Deal?

So take some time out to think about how you treasure and keep the most expensive and valuable clothings in your wardrobe. Every time you pick it up, you remember how much you paid for it and what it cost you, and then you put some respect on it, isn't it? Some people even go as far as reading the fine prints on how it should be laundered. Well, though this Jesus's one appears to have cost you and I little or nothing, It cost Jesus a whole lot. And when he returns again, if you and I are not found in the keeping of what has been done for us, it will cost us even a whole lot more. Walking around naked, with lots of peering eyes, yikes. This will not be the case for you and I, in Jesus mighty name. Amen

"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. - Colossians 3: 12-17 MSG

                                      Keep watch and keep your garments. No nudes here please!!!!!

Love,

SR