The room is black, the air tense, as techno music begins it’s assault on the senses with a pounding felt deep inside. If only it could pound out the nerves. Preparations finished, the moment to shine arrives. Precisely on cue the lights strobe, the music blares, and the stunning model steps on to the runway, assailed by a hail of illuminated bursts of xenon gas from hundreds of camera flashes.

Peering anxiously from behind the curtain the designer plays cool. Will his work be praised by the critics, or will it be torn to shreds? Has her vision captured the fancy of wealthy clothing buyers, or is it off to the discount rack at Wal-mart?

I don’t really know much about the fashion industry. Oh, I know it generates a ton of money. I know that in some way even that “high fashion” stuff eventually affects me as the trends work their way down the channel to the rack at my local Gap, and Old Navy stores, where I pick them up for still too much money.

And I do know this. Clothing design is the one human profession that God himself took a stab at doing. No, I’m not talking about Mr. Armani. I’m talking about God. Yes, that God…the one in the Bible. Genesis 3:21 “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” It seems earlier Adam & Eve had tried to make clothing for themselves, but couldn’t quite master the art. Can you picture that scene? Adam comes out from behind the trees:

Eve looks Adam up and down, from behind the tree where she’s still working on her outfit. She shakes her head and mutters under her breath. “Oh. Um…were you planning on wearing THAT?”

Adam, defensively: “What’s wrong with this?”

Eve: “Well, nothing. It’s just that…well, you know…kinda got some holes in it. And that top leaf doesn’t match the bottom leaf. I mean it’s just plain ugly!”

Adam: “But…I mean…it’s really comfy.”

Eve, stepping out from behind the bushes finally: “So…?”

Adam: “So…what?”

Eve: “Well, do you notice anything different?”

Adam: “Ummm…I’m not a mind reader here.”

Eve: “The leaves! What do you think of the leaves I’m wearing!”

Adam: “Well, if you ask me it’s not as good as what you were wearing before!”

Eve: “But I wasn’t…Hey!” (belts Adam.)

Eve: “So…does this outfit make me look fat?”

God: “Don’t answer that Adam.”

Eve didn’t like Adam’s new suit, and even God wasn’t about to tell Eve the leaves made her look fat…so He went into the business. God - fashion designer extraordinare. “Garments by God.” It’s got marketing appeal, maybe. Ever wonder what God’s fashion style was? What did garments made by God look like? And how durable were they? Did they hold up well after 1,000 washes? (Well, 1000 washes for Eve…Adam turned them inside out and got twice as many wears out of them.)

I was reading Isaiah today, and it seems Adam & Eve weren’t the only people to wear Garments by God. 61:10 “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 righteousness…”

I guess we won’t ever know God’s fashion style, but it’s great to know his design is perfect for me. Garments by God do everything for me that I can’t do for me. I can relate to that feeling Adam & Eve must have felt just moments after that first sin changed their lives, and the world, forever. Desperate. Alone. Alienated. Screaming from the pain of brokeness they couldn’t fix. No matter how hard they tried, no matter how great their fashion sense, they couldn’t cover that feeling. They couldn’t fix the mess, or ease the pain that comes from being cut off from the one true Life Giving Source.

And I can relate to the fear Adam must have felt when he heard the rustling in the Garden, and then the voice: “Adam, where are you?” He knows. He knows everything. He knows the things that shame me most. He knows completely my guilt. What’s he going to do to me now?

But instead of Adam the sinner being destroyed by the holy God, God turns fashion designer. “I see your shame. I see your guilt. I see your nakedness, Adam. Come here. Let me design a cover that is adequate for you.” Adequate. More than adequate. Could Adam, could Versace, could I, design a cover to not just hide my inadequacy, but to take it away? Could Eve, could we, design something so beautiful, and wonderful, and thrilling to the soul? For he has clothed me with garments of salvation - garments that take my ugly sin and selfishness and hide it from His sight.

Thank you God! Praise you God, for the beauty of your salvation covers me.