“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” – Isaiah 61:3 (KJV)

At Grace we sing a song which calls us to “put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”.  I confess that I have sung this many times with almost zero understanding.  And unlike many things Christians say without understanding them, this one doesn’t even “sort of” make sense upon casual examination. It is just a weird thing to say. What is a “garment of praise” and what does it have to do with a heavy or faint spirit?

This week I was praying as I drove to work and it suddenly clicked.  I suddenly realized what is being pictured.

A garment is something that is worn for protection against the elements.  In addition to modesty, clothing keeps us from freezing to death in the winter and dying of dehydration and heat stroke in the summer, and, as Mark Twain once commented “Clothes make the man. Naked people make little or no influence on society.”

Simple enough, right?

Now let’s look at praise.  In what way does praise function in our spiritual lives like clothing functions in our physical existence?

When we praise God, we are responding to his Majesty. We are responding to what He has given us and what He does in us. Praise is not an isolated event, it is rooted in who God is.  We see this pattern all throughout the Psalms.

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” – Psalm 7:17

“I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” – Psalm 18:3

“O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love. ” – Psalm 59:17

“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. ” – Psalm 63:3

When we praise God, we take our eyes off of ourselves and our own condition and we thank God for who He is. We recount His attributes. We affirm his Majesty.  The result of this is personal joy. We cannot wonder in the awesomeness of God and take pity on our own circumstance. In light of God’s perfection and provision, our problems pale.

Additionally, we are orienting our attention away from the temporal and towards the eternal.  How can our temporary problems stand next to God’s eternal greatness?

As we consider His Majesty, the only natural response is to entrust Him with the things that cause us sorrow, rob us of joy, or make life difficult.  God himself entreats us to do so over and over.  “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14a) “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27)  “My yoke is easy, my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30)

The only way we can cast our cares on Him (as 1 Peter 5:7 commands) is if we recognize his Majesty and His suitability for the job.

This is best demonstrated in the Psalms. Over and over David pours out his soul before God. He expresses grief and weeps. He feels abandoned, but without fail, he always comes back to God’s faithfulness and God’s praise-worthy attributes. These psalms are known as “Lament Psalms” and follow a pattern:

I. Address to God, Invocation
    a) first person address to God (I, you)
    b) an initial plea
II. Complaint to God
    a) description of problem, questions asked of God 
    b) crisis of any kind; in penitential psalms it is sin 
    c) claim of innocence 
    d) often includes an initial plea for help 
    e) condemnation of “wicked” or “enemy”
III. Affirmation of Trust
    a) “But as for me” or “Nevertheless” 
    b) turning point of the psalm; theological focus
IV. Petition
    a) plea for God’s intervention 
    b) often uses the words “save” or “deliver”
V. Acknowledgment of Response 
    a) assurance of hearing 
    b) vow of praise, worship
VI. Doxology: blessings, praise

Source: Patterns for Life: Structure, Genre, and Theology in Psalms 

As we approach God with what brings us sorrow, we should adopt this pattern in our own prayers. We should adorn ourselves with a garment of praise. In doing so, we will find true joy and spiritual contentment. Contentment that says “No, everything isn’t alright, but my hope is in the Lord.”