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Mar 20, 2025 06:00am

Letting Go of the Old

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My husband is a robe man. Yes, you heard me right, he loves to wear his robe. It’s a comfort thing, for sure. It’s more than just keeping him warm and cozy. It’s about putting the worries, hard work, and business of the day to rest and putting on comfort and rest. He wouldn’t tell you that, but a wife knows.

He had this old robe, probably from the late 80s or early 90s. It was navy blue and red striped, made of the roughest cotton you’ve ever felt. But it was his robe. I think we used it in several church programs to play the part of Moses or Joseph.

After we had been married for a year or so, I asked if he’d like a new one.

The look he gave me was something I hadn’t seen before. He was aghast! My comment was on the verge of offense to him and his cherished robe.

Him: “Why would I want to give this up? I don’t need a new one; this one is just fine.”

Me: “But, this one is better. The material is really soft.”

Him: “I like this one.”

Me: “But this one will provide more warmth. Your other one is worn out!”

Him: “This one works for me. I’ve always worn it, so I’ll just stick with it.”

He was being impossible. Even after I told him the truth about his old robe and how much better this one would be, he still didn’t want anything to do with it. It wasn’t just the robe he was holding on to. It was the nostalgia of it; he couldn’t handle letting it go, no matter how much I shared about the good things of a new robe.

Romans 10:16-21

“But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. 18 But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: “The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world.” 19 But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said, “I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.” 20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying, “I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.” 21 But regarding Israel, God said, “All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious.”

Salvation comes from hearing the Word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and believing in it. Paul told the believers in Rome that there were many Jews who had not accepted this truth.

Was Paul sure that they had heard? Yes!

Psalm 19:1-4
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

They had heard. But did they know, did they understand? Yes!

Deuteronomy 32:18-21
“18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.
19 The LORD saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters.
20 “I will hide my face from them,” he said, “and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.
21 They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.”

They rejected the gift God had sent to them. Why?

They couldn’t let go of the law. They couldn’t let go of what they had always known and trusted in. For the Pharisees, it meant they would be giving up their power, position, and money. They would look foolish before the people they were supposed to be leading. So they held tight to the ways of old.

The people followed their leaders. This was part of who they were. If the religious leaders said it, they did it. Even if it was ignoring the truth.

The truth from the scriptures.

The scriptures they knew.

They had heard. They knew. And they still rejected the gospel.

If you’ve been following these daily devotionals, we’ve learned about the sin of man, the promise of the coming Savior, the sacrificial system and law put in place until the true, perfect sacrifice was made available – all of this from the Old Testament. And as we made our way into the New Testament, we saw the entrance of Christ, the Son of God, the promised Messiah. He fulfilled the scriptures. He alone was worthy to be crucified and be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. And He overcame death. He defeated the power of the grave when He rose from the dead after 3 days. He told His disciples to go and tell the world the truth about Him and make disciples.

The Jews had heard. And so have you.

The question is, what will you choose?

To hold on tight to your current life? To trust in what you’ve always done or known. Or will you release your grip on it, surrender it, and take hold of the gift Jesus offers you? The new life He offers is so much better than what you have now.

Will you let go of that worn-out, old, tattered, scratchy robe and take hold of the new one?

“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, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10

Let go of the old and take hold of the new. Learn more at follow.lifeword.org.

P.S. Christmas morning, he opened up a beautifully wrapped gift. As he pushed the tissue paper away, he saw and felt the softest heather blue robe. He pulled it out, examined it, and put it on. And he loves it.