Another Easter Tradition
But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield. – Psalm 5:11-12 NKJV.
According to House Beautiful in the article “25 Funny and Unexpected Trivia Facts About Easter” buying new clothes for Easter is still an Easter tradition for some. The article says that in the middle of the 1800s in New York is where the tradition may have begun in the United States. It was believed that wearing new clothes on Easter Sunday would bring good luck during the rest of the year.
When I was a boy, It was expected that you wore your good clothes when you attended church. My family only attended church regularly for about two years when I was nine or ten years old (Not sure of the correct time period now.). But we were usually in church on Easter Sunday, Resurrection Day.
Unlike some families that are in church for the Sunday close to Christmas and also on Easter – My family showed up just on Easter as I remember. It does seem that I had some better dress clothes to wear for the event. But I don’t know if it brought me any good luck for the rest of the year.
On Sunday mornings I still dress up, you could say wearing a coat and tie but on Sunday evenings I dress down and drop the tie. I don’t think that I can ever change to wearing jeans, t-shirt, and tennis shoes when I am preaching. I still think that would be disrespectful. And, I have yet to preach while I am wearing a ball cap!
There is something better though than luck that is available and should be highly sought after. That something better is to have God’s favor surround your life. Doesn’t that sound like something you would like to have? To have the Lord of Creation, the God of the universe and all that there is to surround you with His favor “as with a shield?”
How do you have God’s favor? The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 5. We gain God’s favor by putting our trust in God and loving His Name. Have you done that? Are you doing that? Just read John 3:16 and BELIEVE! Trust not in any worldly thing but trust solely in the Lord and you will be surrounded with God’s favor like a shield! What better time than Easter, Resurrection Sunday to do that!