“You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” Psalm 30:11
Can you picture anyone going from a state of mourning, which normally involves death, to an euphoric state – to the point one would start dancing? Sounds very radical, almost as science would call: Bipolar. That is how radically God can transform what goes on with us.
He transforms, He changes our sadness, our despair, our lament, our wailing into gladness, into dancing, into joy, better yet, into a joyful dance! Praise the Lord because only He can do such amazing and beautiful things unto us! Only He can give us a peace that transcends our understanding even when death surrounds us. His Spirit delivers us and changes our fortune, our destiny, and His light and life burst through us!
And then, as He transforms our sadness into gladness, our mourning into dancing, He changes our clothing. Because mourning outfits used to be uncomfortable, made out of sackcloth, a very coarse and rough fabric. How can we dance, feel happy, feel gladness when something rough, itchy and uncomfortable touches our skin?
So, God comes, and He himself puts on us His gladness. Comfortable, soft, gentle, flowy, colorful, fragrant fabric! And then we dance! We dance before His Majesty, with our eyes fixed on Him, with a heart full of gratitude!
