“Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.”
Isaiah 52:1
There once was a beautiful house by a busy road, admired for its beauty, until a bag of refuse was dropped at its gate and ignored. One day, the owner realised the problem began when he forgot to remove the first bag of dirt. He cleared the rubbish, and placed a sign at the entrance: PRIVATE PROPERTY. NO DUMPING. The beauty returned.
Many believers are like that house. Purchased by God. Built with purpose. Set apart. Yet because of weariness, offence, fear, or prolonged battles, we allow things that were never permitted to stay. When we give room to this, there is a quiet violence done to the soul because it forgets its worth. Not the loud kind that draws attention, but the subtle kind — when we allow anything and everything to settle within us because we no longer remember that we are sacred ground.
God’s call in Isaiah 52:1 is a loud reminder to Awake. Shake off the stupor. Put on thy strength. Reclaim what you laid down and put on thy beautiful garments. You are not a dumpster. You were never designed to be a dumping ground for filth, defeat, bitterness, false doctrines, unresolved offence, or spiritual pollution. Holy cities do not entertain unclean traffic.
Charge: Not every thought deserves residence. Not every emotion deserves space. Not every voice deserves access. God is calling you to remember who you are, and to live accordingly.
Further Study: Psalm 24:3-4; Proverbs 4:23; Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:16-17; Ephesians 4:27; Philippians 4:8.
You are not common space.
You are not public property.
You are not a dumpster.
You are Zion.
Put on your beautiful garments.
