Beauty for Ashes*

 

 

Isaiah 61 v 3”....To Give Beauty for Ashes.....”

When I came across this scripture, it gave me so much hope and expectation in my own times of grief and distress....

We tend to aggravate ourselves with self deprecating comments and a barrage of self loathing remarks.  We attack our own self-esteem, berate ourselves with unkind words and negative remarks and constantly compare ourselves to others.

Before we know it, life becomes unbearable! We begin to drag our feet to the rhythm of despair constantly playing in our minds as we go through life.  Ultimately, our hope is stifled and we feel life is nothing but a drag.  We play the blame game, if not blaming ourselves; we blame life, our family, parents, upbringing, friends, careers etc.  Once we play the blame game, or blame shifting, we subconsciously raise our fist to the world! Our attitudes as stale as a worn out rubber we never become part of the solution, but we become pretty abrasive and unkind toward others. 

Life hadn`t been all sweet and rosy for me as I would have liked, and just the fact that my flaws seemed to be aggravated by a situation I found myself in did not help matters either.

I constantly attacked myself internally, mocking my very existence in this life.  But how could I climb out of this pit of despair, a tunnel of never ending darkness, fear, panic and very bleak toward the future?  How could I find the joy within, was the any reason to celebrate me or life itself?  But how could life turn out hopeless all of a sudden?  My questions, like a barrage of missiles in my mind, I took to entertain them like a powerless bound prisoner.  A prisoner of an illusional mind, I took to negativity as a way of life.  But how could a sudden turn of events cripple me? I thought I was strong enough, I thought there was more to me. Unbeknown to me, I sunk in a quicksand of negativity with no hope of ever saving myself.  But how could a sudden turn of events cripple me? I thought I was strong enough and I thought there was more to me, but why God why? How come Lord? Did you really allow it? 

By God`s Grace however, I stumbled upon an enlightening scripture....”God grants beauty for ashes....” This gave me such assuring comfort and relief! I knew, being in my Heavenly Father`s hands is a lifetime assurance and never will He ever toss me away because I was flawed.... I hung onto this scripture with every fibre of my being! It became the first divine promise I clung to, after all other promises had fallen to the ground. If I was to see and experience change, then this has got to be it.  I didn’t care how long it would take, but since God had promised, He got the ability to do a new birthing in me.  He`s got the power to recreate out of the `ashes` in my life.  These ashes of brokenness, pain, hopelessness, and despair wound me up.

All I needed was something to believe in, and this was it... God`s Word, becoming real to me.  I felt the soothing in my soul, the gentle hope resting on me like a butterfly, the peace build up in my being as it flooded in me.  What mercy!

Since then and even now, when I`ve had to meditate on the scripture in order to avoid being hard on myself (as we all tend to) I`ve only witnessed the end result of His Grace through His Love which continuously transforms me.....

I have since envisioned Him beholding me in His glory and splendour, as the rays of His glory and radiance blaze on my flaws and turn them into a beautiful mosaic masterpiece.....

There are countless times, I have looked at myself and wondered “what happened..? How did I change...? How did I overcome that weakness...pain.... When did my joy return?”

 Well that`s the transforming power of God.  We can never trust ourselves to change ourselves, but we can trust Him to Love us to Life!

He Is gentle with our wounds, Strong in our weaknesses, Sensitive to our grief’s and Healer of all our pains. 

Isaiah 61 v 3 “...To give them beauty for ashes....”

Be encouraged * J

 

His Beloved....