Tag: clothing

Posted in Life, Through the Bible Devotions

Inside out

Posted on by William Douthwaite

As I’m waiting my turn at the ATM, I notice the gentleman ahead of me has his t-shirt on inside out. So naturally I wondered, “What’s going on here?”

He got up early this morning and dressed in the dark, not seeing that his shirt was inside out. Sometimes in a hurry, I’ll fold my t-shirts inside out. I can turn them right side out later. (Unless I forget or I’m not paying attention or it’s dark?)

There is something offensive on the front of his shirt. Rather than choosing another shirt, he just wore it with the image on the inside for a trip to the bank.

Perhaps he was at a restaurant and got some food on the front of his shirt. He’ll change his shirt when he gets home. But for now, inside out will do.

“I’ll bet I could wear my t-shirt inside out and no one would notice.” There’s only one way to find out.

In any event, noticing something like this prompts me to pay more attention when I’m getting dressed in the morning!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Dress code

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 28.

As I sit in the waiting area, a service representative steps over to let me know what repairs my car needs. He or she is well dressed in a polo shirt and khakis. Their hands are clean unlike the mechanics who are working with tools, parts, and fluids underneath my car. That’s the one I pay. That’s the one who hands me my keys and sends me on my way. I never get to meet the actual technicians, only the rep.

That scenario reminds me of the Old Testament priests who served at the tabernacle and later, the temple in Jerusalem. God established a dress code for Aaron and the priests who go before the Lord on behalf of the people. Why? There are two reasons: “For glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2). The garments will glorify God. But they will also reflect a relationship with the Lord.

As you read through it, it’s complicated. There is a “breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a tunic of checkered work, a turban, and a sash.” These all work together as a reminder that when the priest goes before the Lord, it is on behalf of all the people. The priest represents a nation, but also every individual in that nation. That includes the good and the bad, the rich and the poor, and the sick and the healthy.

As the gold plate on the high priest’s turban states, the people are “holy to the Lord.” They have been chosen. They have been set free. Their sin has been atoned for, that is covered. It’s easy to forget these truths. This was a great reminder.

In the very first chapter of Revelation, John catches a glimpse of Jesus in glowing, glorious, and beautiful priestly attire. He’s also the mechanic who did all the work of salvation. Not only does he clean up nicely, but he’s give me garments of salvation and robes of righteousness, too.

Israel may not have put all these pieces together in the Sinai desert. But now, in the last days, it’s good news!

Posted in Devotions, Through the Bible Devotions

Nice outfit

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 3.

When someone comments, “Hey, nice outfit,” I wonder if it’s a compliment or they’re making fun. Maybe they really like what I’m wearing. Or maybe the plaid shirt with the striped pants wasn’t the best choice.

After the deception, disobedience, shame, and consequences of Genesis 3, God does something really nice for Adam and his wife. He makes garments of skin for them.

So God isn’t angry with them. I don’t hear anger in his voice when he finds them hiding in the bushes. He simply speaks, explaining the consequences of their actions. And then he clothes them (Genesis 3:21).

It’s a good thing he does. I doubt their makeshift fig leaf coverings were very effective. Probably wouldn’t last long, either.

We try hard to cover up our failures and mistakes. We hide behind excuses, blame, and ignorance. None of those are effective. They don’t last long, either.

The good news is that God covers our sin, too. He comes in the flesh (skin) as a Savior who covers up our shame and guilt with his own righteousness. Or as Paul will later put it, “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Gal. 3:27 NASB).

So I guess you can say that those garments of skin in Genesis 3:21 are a hint of what’s to come: Jesus.

This is the kind of stuff I think makes the Old Testament so much fun to read. I love finding the footprints of Jesus in those pages long before he walked on the earth.

As I take another trip through the bible, I’m going to write devotionally along the way and share what I find. This year I’m reading the 2020 edition of the New American Standard Bible. If you’re blessed by any of this, feel free to share it with a friend!

Posted in shopping

From the other side of the planet to me

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It didn’t take much to shape my Instagram algorithm. I think I clicked on one t-shirt promotion, and all of a sudden, such ads filled my feed. I was in the market for a few shirts, so I did the discount code dance. Every ad I went to offered me 15% off my first purchase. So I did a whole lot of first purchases and tried out a whole lot of t-shirts.

Most of my orders came in three to four days. I liked all my purchases. But then I thought, “Didn’t I order another one?” I went back through my emails and checked my order confirmations. Yep, one more yet to come.

It’s been two weeks. Where is that last shirt? I found the tracking order for my t-shirt, and discovered that the shipment originated in China. I know, most of my clothes are made in China, Vietnam or Indonesia. No surprise there.

I was fascinated to read about my t-shirt’s travels, which started in Shatian, China. From there, it went to O’Hare airport in Chicago, then to Homer Glen, Illinois. The bagged t-shirt went to Atlanta, Orlando, and then finally to my town, Palm Coast. It took two weeks for the shirt to get from them to me.

I find this very interesting. I paid less than $25 for the shirt. Did it cost less than that to ship it to me? Did they lose money on the deal? Will they make money if I order more shirts from them?

I do not understand the economics of this at all. Someone is making a shirt for me at a bargain price in a sweatshop somewhere on the other side of the earth, so they can feed their family and I can save a few bucks. Some middle-men are making money making the sale and shipping it to me. I feel bad for taking advantage of them. I guess I could feel better for giving them a job. But I feel nothing when I pull on a shirt made on the other side of the planet.

We live in a strange world, don’t we?

Posted in Ministry

2020 Lenten devotion #1: Garments of skin

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A quick concordance search shows the word blood appearing nearly four hundred times in scripture. Blood is part of life and death in God’s creation. It is part of God’s covenants. It is spilled, sprinkled, poured out, and consumed. It justifies, redeems, reconciles, purifies and conquers. This year’s Lenten devotions focus on the drops of blood we find on the pages of our bibles, leading us to the cross of Christ and beyond. 

Photo by Adrian Ordonez on Unsplash

When “the eyes of [the man and the woman] were opened…they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths” (Genesis 3:7). “And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). 

While the word blood does not appear in these verses, God is the first to take the life of some animal to use the skins to cover up the naked first couple. That’s right, God draws first blood. 

Adam and his wife have listened to the serpent, have responded to their own desires and have eaten from the tree forbidden to them. Now they must try and cover up their nakedness, shame and guilt with a few leaves. Mercifully, God provides a better covering, but it will require the shedding of blood. It is the first hint of many that there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). It is the first indication that we will hear much about blood in the story of God’s people about to unfold in the ages to come. 

Why do we wear clothes? Sometimes for protection from the elements. To stay warm or cool. They may be a uniform that identifies our profession or company. We may wear them because we like to look good and impress others. Or to fit in with the people around us. 

Whatever the reason, clothes serve as a reminder of our sin and shame and also our Savior. As hard as we try, we can’t cover up all our faults. But our Savior’s love, sacrifice and blood can. “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1). 

Gracious Lord, thank your for covering my sin with the holy precious blood of Christ. Amen.