BEAUTY FOR ASHES

‘’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.”

By Mucha

Ashes are a symbol of the hardships we face. Everyone faces some form of hardship, be it loss of a loved one, divorce, abuse, sickness, loss of identity and rejection.

Job, was a righteous man who loved the Lord dearly. He experienced losing everything. It was a dark period in his life and like most of us, he must have wondered if his life would ever be the same again.

Will he be happy again? Will he smile again? Will he have the courage to love again?

I was reminded of the amazing love of Christ that is able to restore us to the identity and purpose he created for us.

What does beauty for ashes mean?

ASHES Ashes in the bible were a sign of deep grief. Have you ever experienced how the troubles in life can set you up for failure as they suck the life right out of you?

It’s times like these that we should hang on to God’s promises of deliverance from our enemy (ashes). Although life can be extremely challenging, God has promises us that he would bringing out the beauty that is found from this pain and suffering.

In Job 2:8 Job found himself deep in the ashes, he lost everything!

David was there too. He prayed and fasted and did everything he could to save his son.

But, ‘’On the seventh day the baby died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the baby was dead. They said, “Look, we tried to talk to David while the baby was alive, but he refused to listen to us. If we tell him the baby is dead, he may do something awful.” 2 Samuel 12:18

I am also reminded of the song Amazing Grace as I pen this.

Amazing Grace! how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now am found Was blind but now I see

Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home

It was written by a former slave trader called John Newton who was an Anglican priest in England in 1773, apparently written specifically, from a near-death experience he’d had decades earlier, when the slave ship he was on encountered a violent storm, prompting him to convert to Christianity.

BEAUTY FOR ASHES

There is an exchange that took place on Calvary.

Jesus felt every pain and suffering as he was nailed to the cross. At that moment, a beautiful exchange took place. Beauty for Ashes. The Cross and the Blood of Jesus is the powerful exchange for every pain and suffering we encounter. God in his mercy made that exchange for us, so that he could remove the ashes (hardships) and crown us with his beauty.

No-one is too lost not to be found or too far gone off to be redeemed. That beautiful exchange is an unbreakable covenant where the King of Glory invites you to call him into every ahses/situation you are in. Will you laugh again? Yes! Will you smile again? Yes! Will you recover from the suffering you have been through? Yes you will.

His beautiful exchange still speaks on our behalf.

Jesus reminded us in John 16:33 that

“In this world you will have trouble, but take courage, for I have overcome the world.”

The Power of the Cross, through his pain and suffering has made it possible for us to overcome.

What a beautiful exchange and what a wonderful expression of a loving God!

I can only imagine that is the Amazing Grace that John Newton encountered as he faced the most fierce storm of his life. Was he going to survive this storm he must have thought! He overcame.

Grace will find you and lift you out of that mourning, depression, sadness, abuse, and turmoil.

Just call out his name and He will answer. He is our Shalom, nothing missing, nothing broken (peace).

Pray Jesus, save me from these ashes and crown me with your beauty, amen.