Greatness Clothed in Purple

How Great is Our God

Dancer: Michelle Barnes; Music: How Great is Our God by Angélla Christie

Celebrating the King

”How Great is Our God” is an extravagant parade introduction for a victorious king who has conquered. My purple, burgundy, and crimson flags are those you might wave before your king to announce the king’s presence.

This dance of celebration was born out of a color study. My favorite color is purple. I love all variations of purple: violet, burgundy, lavender. Light purple, dark purple. I surround myself with purple – purple harp, purple bedsheets, purple water bottle, tablet cover, books, bags, clothing, bridal bouquets. Given the option, I prefer purple.

But why am I so drawn to the color purple? Colors subconsciously affect a person’s emotions and perceptions. A person’s response to a particular color or combinations of color can be different depending on their age, gender, culture or experiences. However, colors can produce common associations. People often associate the color purple with royalty, extravagance or vanity.

Michelle spinning with purple flags

The Meaning of Purple

In the Bible, the color purple represents royalty, priesthood and wealth. The Israelites created fabrics, clothing, and other materials from wool that was dyed various colors. Dyes were created from various plants, minerals and other resources found in nature. For example, pomegranates were used to dye wool pink, red or yellow-orange. Woad flowers were ground into a powder and used to dye wool blue.

Purple dye came from the murex, a mollusk found in the great sea. Hundreds or thousands of murex shells were required to create a rich purple color, but the murex was very difficult to find. For this reason, purple dye was very expensive. Purple garments were only affordable by royalty and the wealthy.

In scripture, purple identifies:

  • Wealth (Proverbs 31:22; Luke 16:19)
  • Royalty (Esther 8:15; Daniel 5:29; Judges 8:26)
  • Kings (Esther 1:6; Song of Solomon 3:9-10)
  • Authority (Daniel 5:7; Daniel 5:16; Ezekiel 23:6)
  • Priesthood (Exodus 28; Exodus 36; Exodus 39)

Purple fabric was also used in the curtains of the tabernacle (Exodus 36). In Solomon’s temple, a veil of blue, purple and crimson linen hung between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (2 Chronicles 3:14). Priests passed through this threshold to enter the presence of God.

Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet fabric, they made finely woven garments for serving and ministering in the Holy Place; they made the holy garments for Aaron, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Exodus 39:1
Michelle worshiping with purple flags

How Great is Our God

lyrics by Chris Tomlin


The splendor of a King
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light
And darkness tries to hide
It trembles at his voice
Trembles at his voice

How great is our God
Sing with me, how great is our God
And all will see, how great
How great is our God

And age to age, he stands
And time is in his hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end
The Godhead, three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
Lion and the Lamb
Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God
Sing with me, how great is our God
And all will see, how great
How great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of our praise
My heart will sing, how great is our God
Name above all names
You are worthy of our praise
And my heart will sing, how great is our God

How great is our God
Sing with me, how great is our God
And all will see, how great
How great is our God

How great is our God
Sing with me, how great is our God
And all will see, how great
How great is our God

How great is our God
Sing with me, how great is our God
And all will see, how great
How great is our God

Michelle worshiping with purple flags

Who is this who comes from Edom, With crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom], This One (the Messiah) who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His might?

“It is I, [the One] who speaks in righteousness [proclaiming vindication], mighty to save.”

Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?

“I have trodden the wine trough alone, And of the peoples there was no one with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My clothes. For the day of vengeance [against ungodliness] was in My heart, And My year of redemption [of those who put their trust in Me—the year of My redeemed] has come.”

Isaiah 63:1-4

References

Salvation

The Promise:

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.”

John 3:16-17

“We all have sinned.”

Romans 3:23

“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life.”

Romans 6:23

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:13

Say this prayer:

Heavenly Father,
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
I give You my life.
I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart.
Amen.

Scripture References:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:16-17, KJV

A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!
John 10:10, TPT

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Romans 3:23-26, KJV

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:22-23, KJV

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:9-13, KJV

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
Luke 11:9-13, NKJV

Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him], that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God]. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ’s representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].
2 Corinthians 5:17-21, AMP

Foam Roll for Mobility

Do you have tight muscles? Painful movement? Poor flexibility?
Massage your muscles with a foam roller to reduce pain, muscle tension, and recovery time.

What is Foam Rolling?

Foam rolling is a method of self-myofascial release, a flexibility technique that will help you to release tension and decrease activity of overactive muscle fibers in your body.

Poor posture, repetitive movements, and trauma cause inflammation in your body. Inflammation increases muscle tension and causes muscle spasms. Muscle spasms create trigger points, or knots, in soft tissue. These knots cause pain and interfere with muscle contraction. They also make muscles resistant to stretching, decreasing range of motion. This contributes to muscle imbalances, movement compensations or injury.

Studies have shown that self-myofascial release is an effective treatment method to increase range of motion without suffering muscle performance. Foam rolling helps to release microspasms and to break up knots that develop in traumatized tissue. This removes the hindrances to muscle lengthening, thus improving your flexibility and balanced movement while reducing pain.

Michelle holding a massage ball in her right hand
A Massage Ball is great for working out knots in the shoulders, back and feet

What to Do:

Hold pressure on tender areas of muscle tissue for a period of time to release knots, allowing the muscle to relax.
Foam roll before a workout or physical activity to prepare your muscles for movement and to reduce the chance of injury. Or, foam roll at any time to reduce soreness, speed recovery and move better.

Michelle using a foam roller on the upper back
Foam Rolling the Upper Back

How to Foam Roll:

  1. Roll a foam roller or other tool slowly over the length of the muscle. Move at a rate of 1 inch per second.
  2. Find the most tender spot in the muscle belly. A tender spot will be painful, about a 6-8 on a scale of 1-10. 
  3. Hold the roller on the tender spot and massage it for 30-90 seconds, until you feel a release in the area or the pain subsides and the tissue softens.
  4. Move the foam roller slowly along the length of the muscle again.
Michelle using a green foam roller on the hamstring
Foam Rolling the Hamstrings

Tips for Foam Rolling:

  • Maintain proper posture.
  • Pull your navel in towards your spine at all times to stabilize your lumbopelvic hip complex.
  • Use your extremities to increase or decrease pressure on the soft tissue.
  • Keep the muscle relaxed. If you tighten or tense your muscle, it will prevent the roller from penetrating the deeper layers of soft tissue.
  • Areas that have myofascial restrictions will be more painful to mobilize. They will become less painful with subsequent sessions as soft tissue restrictions break down.
Michelle using a foam roller on the glutes
Foam Rolling the Glutes
  • Do not put pressure on bones, tendons, open wounds, or varicose veins. Remove pressure if you feel pulsing, numbness or tingling. 
Video: What Exactly is Foam Rolling and Why Should I Roll? By TriggerPoint

Contraindications:

You should not use a foam roller or any other method of self-myofascial release if you have the following conditions:

Congestive heart failure, organ failure, bleeding disorders, contagious skin conditions, cancer, osteoporosis, infections, acute rheumatoid arthritis, blood clot, aneurysm, anticoagulant therapy, bursitis, sutures, goiter, skin lesions, hypersensitive skin conditions, open wounds, healing fractures, obstructive edema, diabetes, fever, advanced degenerative changes.

Michelle holding a green foam roller overhead

Consult a medical professional before performing self-myofascial release techniques.

References:

Stull, Kyle. “What do Foam Rollers Do?” 20 December 2019. National Academy of Sports Medicine. https://blog.nasm.org/foam-rolling-smr/what-do-foam-rollers-do.

Harvard Health Publishing. “Should you add foam rolling to your workout routine?” December 2018. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-add-foam-rolling-to-your-workout-routine.

IDEA Authors. “Foam-Rolling Techniques: A 4-Step Formula.” 21 September 2017. IDEA Health & Fitness Association. https://www.ideafit.com/uncategorized/different-foam-rolling-techniques-why-the-fuss/.

Clark MA, Lucett SC, Sutton BG. NASM Essentials of Corrective Exercise Training. 1st ed rev. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning: 2014.