Clean clothes
“Look, I’ve stripped you of your sin and dressed you up in clean clothes.” ~ Zechariah 3:4b (MSG)
The son said, “Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.”
But his father said to the servants, “Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. ~ Luke 15:21-22 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
God's forgiveness gives us a fresh start.
PRAYER:
God, I'm grateful for your mercy and forgiveness. I'm thankful that you give us a fresh start. I admit that I am too often satisfied with the forgiveness and too lazy to act on the fresh start. It's so easy to wear the old and comfortable clothes. Have mercy on me a reluctant convert. Starting now I'm going to take full advantage of the clean clothes and fresh start you are offering. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
