Stripped: Trusting God When He Allows Others to Hurt Youಮಾದರಿ

I saw the stripping and the meantime in a whole different light when I came to the following verses in chapter 41:

“So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” (Genesis 41:41-43, NIV, emphasis mine)

Joseph rose to unparalleled fame and power—not corrupting, egotistical power—but the type that’s infused with authority that comes from the humble, firm confidence of those who know their duty is not to tell God where to go, but to follow Him. God had one more wardrobe change prepared for Joseph:

The stripped dressed in robes of fine linen

Tears of joy filled my eyes as I realized that my story (and your story) doesn’t end in stripping. In what Joseph may have thought was a meantime of inactivity from God, the Tailor of heaven was carefully planning, orchestrating, designing, and sewing the most beautiful garment for his child and for the nation He was building in order to fulfill His promise to Abraham and bring salvation to mankind.

Joseph was 30 years old when he began working for the Pharaoh. He waited 13 years for an answer to his why, and this was God’s extraordinary reveal. Are you kidding? This is better than any Project Runway finale or makeover project!

THE PROMISE

I realize that few of us are going to have mic-drop moments like Joseph’s. Jesus invites us to follow Him despite the reality that life won’t be perfect and pain free. We follow because of what He did for us on the cross to pay the price of our redemption. His love draws us into a mystery that is beyond our understanding: that the God of the Universe would call us His friends.

Circumstances have the power to blur our vision from many of the basic principles revealed in the Word. He never promised to deliver us from all earthly pain—He promised to be with us through all trials and across all storms. He promised to be our comfort, our peace, our counselor, our joy, our all in all.

Furthermore, He gave us the greatest promise of all: life eternal with Him. When all is said and done, when we die and are forever with our Savior, the pain of this world will fade away.

“Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:6-9, emphasis mine)

Fine linen—it’s in our stories after all! Therefore, if we choose to follow Him, our story doesn’t end in stripping, our story ends in fine linen— whether that happens here in the land of the living or when we finally see Him face to face. He has fine linen for us, guaranteed!

You are invited, friend. I am invited. God’s main desire and pursuit has always been to be the King of our hearts, to dwell among His children, to love us, and be loved by Him. And there we are, written into those true words of God and dressed in none other than fine linen. No longer stripped, no longer subject to mortality and frailty. Redeemed, loved, and transformed to forever live with the King of kings and Lord of lords.

THE TIME BETWEEN STITCHES

It would be a few more years before Joseph’s waiting period to be reunited with his family was over. But the years of the clothing contrasted dramatically with the time between stitches. He was no longer undressed or underdressed. He was given a robe of fine linen, Pharaoh’s own signet ring, and a gold chain around his neck.

Not many of us worry about where our clothes come from or how they are made. When we need clothes, we simply buy them at our favorite store or order online and wait for the package. But for thousands of years, clothing was a major concern for humans. It’s hard to imagine someone from Joseph’s time having a closet full of clothes, like most of us do. Back then, people had to make or trade their own fabrics or skins.

Because Egypt’s climate is hot and dry, and primarily desert, temperatures in the summer average 104° F, but can reach up to 122° F, dressing accordingly is essential. Many tourism companies recommend visitors to pack lightweight cotton and linen clothing. But where does linen come from and why is it so special?

Linen is a fabric that comes from the flax plant, after undergoing a months-long process. Because it is a laborious process, linen is an expensive fabric. We are used to quick, easy access to clothes, but in Joseph’s context, creating fine linen was an essential and time-consuming process.

We ask God to work in our lives and expect a masterpiece outcome in Chick-Fil-A drive-thru time. The transformations that take place in our character, faith, and development in the meantime ensure that when the next part of the story God is busy preparing arrives, we are ready to wear fine linen with the right heart and humility.

Wearing a robe of fine linen requires burying the flax seed first. From flax seed to fitting, God’s got a bespoke robe ideal for the destiny He’s prepared for you.

THE BESPOKE

In Egypt, nothing could be better for Joseph than fine linen. Its characteristics as a fabric are ideal for desert conditions. Linen is easy to wash and durable. Garments made of linen are also valued for their exceptional coolness and freshness in hot and humid weather. Because it’s more absorbent than other fabrics, it aids in keeping cool in the summer by absorbing sweat.

When God covers our nakedness with fine linen, He equips us so that we are able to adapt to different climates or circumstances. Like linen, we are able to withstand heat and cold because our capacity to endure is found in trusting and abiding in our Maker, who is able to clothe us and supply for our needs. Joseph’s new clothing was an outward reflection of the identity he embodied after 13 years of transformation in defiance of sorrow.

That was great for Joseph, but what about my story? Where’s my rags to riches story?

I can’t speak about the specifics of your life or if your story, or mine, will be as impressive as Joseph’s. Like many heroes of faith, the promise might not be fulfilled in our lifetime, but ultimately, the Lord has promised a garment of fine linen in heaven.

However, we don’t have to wait for heaven to be clothed with joy. We pursue the One who turns lament into dancing, for that was precisely what Jesus came to do for us. This is the good news Jesus proclaimed! This life is available to you and me, here and now. He is able to heal our broken hearts, to give us freedom, beauty, and splendid clothes instead of despair.

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness…” (Isaiah 61:10a, NIV)

To array means to “clothe with garments, especially of an ornamental kind; dress up; deck out.” Think Met Gala, but a million times better. This new clothing was tailor-made for you. Not by a mere fashion designer, but by the God who dresses the flowers of the field and writes the most amazing stories. It’s time to deck out and put on your gala clothes.

To meditate:

• How does the guarantee of fine linen affect your perspective of being stripped?