A new robe

Abigail nervously adjusted her simple woven dress, wishing she had something more magnificent. Her bridegroom would come soon and she wondered again at his love, for he was rich and would come in purple silk and gold. Why had he noticed her?

Didn’t he know that her father was dead, unable to give her the things she needed? Her brother did what he could, but he was busy with his own family. She knew her dress was inadequate before her beloved but she had nothing better.

Then, in a flurry of activity, he arrived with a large group of attendants. His robes were magnificent but he paid them no attention. He approached her tenderly, placing a jeweled tiara on her head, bowing before her. “We will be married in a grand ceremony.”

Couldn’t he see that she had no place in the palace? Tears welled in her eyes. She had tried to find cloth that would please him but she knew she simply didn’t measure up. There was no reason for her to go through this humiliation. She turned away.

“I’m not adequate,” she said.

“You are not,” he agreed. And in a flurry, his attendants clothed her in beauty, transformed her into a princess. This was not her work, but his. Not her plans, but his. Not her riches, but his.

She took his hand, head raised, and began the march.

I will sing for joy in God, explode in praise from deep in my soul! He dressed me up in a suit of salvation, he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo and a bride a jeweled tiara. For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, so the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom..

Isaiah 61:11