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Beauty from Ashes
God Can Bring Beauty from Ashes? What This
Promise Means
.
Debbie
McDaniel
"To appoint unto
them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be
called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be
glorified."
- Isaiah
61:3 KJV
Throughout the Bible and ancient practices,
ashes have often been the symbol of deep repentance and grief.
As the days of Lent
are acknowledged each year, we see all around us the visual reminders of ashes
on foreheads, and we are reminded of this one Truth, “… for dust you are and
to dust you will return." - Genesis 3:19
Because, as many of us know, life is not
always “happy.”
Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it’s hard.
Sometimes it’s dark.
And it leaves its mark, like ashes of grief,
in the deepest parts of our souls, where no one but God can really see.
You may understand if you've ever felt these
ashes:
You’ve ever lost a loved one or had to say
good-bye too soon, left to journey through dark days of grief, wondering if
you’d ever be able to carry on without them at your side…
You’ve ever received a hard diagnosis, faced
the fear of the unknown, and felt the effects of disease and pain...
You’ve ever set at the bedside of a dying
friend, and held a hand that once was strong, whose life had been cut short
from the ravages of cancer…
You’ve ever been to a funeral for a sweet
baby, or a precious child, and watched endless tears flow from hurting souls of
a Mama and Daddy….
You’ve ever been deeply wounded, betrayed,
abused, or mistreated…
You've ever walked through the fire of hard
situations and wondered if you'd come out the other side...
Yes, it’s true, life is not always happy.
It’s not always easy.
It deals harshly sometimes, it seems unfair,
and we may wonder where God is, or why He didn’t stop that difficult event or
illness from happening.
Job was there too. This righteous man who
loved and honored God. Yet he lost everything.
It crumbled around him, all he held dear. And
he knew without God, he was nothing.
And we find him in
the beginning of the book of Job, “…he sat in the ashes.” - Job 2:8
Daniel was there. He and the people had
suffered under captivity, he prayed to God on behalf of his people, that God
would have mercy.
He repented, and confessed his own sin, his
deep need for Him.
He knew where true
strength and help came from, “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking
him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” - Daniel 9:3
David’s own daughter had been taken advantage
of, raped, and she was left on her own, alone, with no hope for her future, to
pick up the broken pieces of shattered life.
“And Tamar put ashes
on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her
head and went away, crying aloud as she went.” - 2 Sam. 13:19
And they may have wondered too...
Where was God in it all? Where is He now?
Deep grief, crime, captivity, illness, death of loved ones, shattered hope, and
broken dreams?
His Truth says this:
He was there. In the midst of it all.
And though we may not
always see it, or feel it, or even understand it, we can know beyond a doubt,
that He is now.
Still. He is with us.
"To provide for those who grieve... to bestow on
them a crown of beauty instead of ashes." - Isaiah 61:3
Jesus reminds us in John 16:33, “In this world you
will have trouble, but take courage, for I have overcome the world.”
And that’s the key to
the ashes that cover our days in this life.
The deeper Truth that
shines through every bit of our grief, and pain, and sin, is this, Christ came
to set us free.
Christ came to
redeem.
Christ came to bring
hope.
Christ came to bring
beauty from ashes.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the
Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up
the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from
darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the
day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those
who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the
oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a
spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the
Lord for the display of his splendor." - Isaiah 61:1-3
He never intends for
us to stay stuck in our sin, pain, or deep sorrow.
He heals and
restores, He calls us onward, He reminds us that in Him, we have great purpose
and hope.
There’s beauty and
greatness behind every mark of darkness.
The ashes will fall
away, they don’t stay forever, but His greatness and glory shine forever
through every broken place and flaw we’ve struggled through.
He conquered death.
He lives forever. He reigns in glory. And we have victory in Him.
Take courage dear friends
who are facing deep battles.
He is greater than
any enemy we face in this life.
We overcome because
He has overcome and our lives are hidden in Christ.
May God cover you
with peace, may He bring healing in the face of hard news, may He bring deep, abiding
joy that makes no sense to the world, may He bring comfort and care as He wraps
you in His arms.
The God of miracles
fights for you today, and He is Mighty.
There's still beauty
ahead... straight out of ashes.
Christ redeems.
Grace.
A Prayer for Beauty from Ashes
Dear God,
Sometimes the way has
seemed too dark. Sometimes we feel like our lives have been marked by such
grief and pain, we don’t see how our circumstance can ever change. But in the
midst of our weakness, we ask that you would be strong on our behalf.
Lord, rise up within
us, let your Spirit shine out of every broken place we’ve walked through. Allow
your power to be manifest through our own weakness, so that others will
recognize it is You who is at work on our behalf.
We ask that you would
trade the ashes of our lives for the beauty of your Presence. Trade our
mourning and grief for the oil of joy and gladness from your Spirit. Trade our
despair for hope and praise.
We choose to give you
thanks today and believe that this season of darkness will fade away. Thank you
that you are with us in whatever we face, and that you are greater than this
trial.
We know and recognize
that you are Sovereign, we thank you for the victory that is ours because of
Christ Jesus, and we are confident that you have good still in store for our
future.
We thank you that you
are at work right now, trading our ashes for greater beauty. We praise you, for
you make all things new.
Debbie
McDaniel
is a writer, pastor's wife, mom to three amazing kids (and a lot of pets). Join
her each morning on Fresh Day Ahead's facebook page,
http://www.facebook.com/DebbieWebbMcDaniel, for daily encouragement in living
strong, free, hope-filled lives. Find her also at
http://twitter.com/debbmcdaniel and http://www.debbiemcdaniel.com.
