Out of These Ashes, Beauty Will Rise
By-Crickettt
Isaiah 61:2-3- (Amplified Version)-To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (the year of His favor) and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. To grant (consolation and joy) to those who mourn in Zion-to give them an ornament (garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment (expressive) of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit-that they may be called oaks of righteousness (lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God), the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
People are starving for something they do not know how to reach for. Their hearts are crying out in pain and disappointment, searching for comfort. "Does anybody care?" "Is this all there is?" "What about me, how do I get through just another day?" God is here, He is watching over all. Your life may be in turmoil right now. You feel tossed to and fro like a ship out on the ocean. The storms are raging from every side, and nothing you say or do seems to make any difference. "What's left for you now?" "What else do you have to give?" "How could it get any worse than this?"
Maybe you are battling things of the past that just won't seem to go away. Maybe the loss of someone you loved has left you empty and uncertain. Maybe you think you deserved all this in your life because you think you are not the kind of person you should be. Maybe your mind is absorbed in all the junk and all the sin that you have placed yourself into. It feels like you are drowning in all the misery and you wish it would all just go away. You know that you truly want to be happy again and you don't know how to get to that point. The path you chose has taken you no where and you still feel empty handed. You have walked roads that have been very difficult and lonely at times. You have suffered through abuse at the hands of others and you have searched for peace but, at the same time have felt you don't deserve it. The guilt and the shame are too much to bear. You have asked, "Why?" and "What did I do so wrong for all this to fall apart?". You often feel like the world is closing in on you and just grabbing a new breath seems difficult. Sometimes you lie down to sleep but, the thoughts won't go away. You wish you could just not wake up again at all, to escape the never-ending pain. If only things could be different, you could see the light at the end of all the darkness. Maybe, you feel you cannot start over because too much has happened, and no one understands you anymore. You are alone, lost in a world you do not understand and stuck in situations you don't know how to get out of. Life has dealt you a bad card and you do not want it anymore. Pain has taken its toll. Moving forward seems to be out of the question. You can't see beyond the hurt and pain. You can't let go or you don't know how. Life seems like a continual roller coaster ride and you just want off!
God is there...in all the pain, in all the hurt. He loves you the way no one else ever could or ever will! He is reaching out a hand for you...telling you...."Take My hand child, let Me help you find your way." He looks beyond the sin, beyond the mistakes and failures just waiting for you to call out His Name. Jesus did not come to condemn you. He came to give you life, hope, peace, joy and so much more. What you see before you right now is not what God sees. He sees the victory in your life. He sees the very heart of man because He created the hearts of man. He knows you better than you know yourself. Sometimes, we feel like we've messed up too much to ever start again. Sometimes, we feel like God doesn't love us or why would we have to struggle so much. God came to raise you up...to give you hope, if you will just turn it over to Him. In the Bible, when devastating circumstances happened...the people would tear their clothes and sit in the ashes and put the ashes on their head in prayer and repentance before God. They did this as a way of humbling themselves before Him in hopes that He would hear their prayers.
Jesus came to set a new standard....no more would we have to sit in the ashes for forgiveness or help. He became the One Way to God. He became the Truth and the Light for our salvation and for forgiveness of our sins. He is the Beauty in the middle of our ashes. He took upon Himself the sins of the world when He allowed Himself to be crucified. Jesus loves you so much, just as you are. He doesn't ask you to be anything else, just believe in Him and receive Him.
He wants to give you Beauty for the Ashes. He wants to take you beyond all the hurt and the pain to show you that you are loved and special. No matter what you see and no matter what you think about yourself, Jesus loves you! He did not make all that junk happen to you. There is sin in this fallen world and an evil presence that works constantly to rip and tear us literally apart piece by piece.
Yet, Jesus has the Victory over all that! He goes beyond all our comprehension and restores into us what we were meant to be all along. It Is Never Too Late! Never Too Late for God to do a work in your life. As long as you have breath in your body, He is calling out your name; urging you to stop and release it all to Him. He wants to be your Savior, Provider, Restorer, Deliverer, and Lord. He wants to bless you, pick you up off the floor and dust you off and send you on your way with Hope. God's love is deeper than our minds can ever fathom. Help is on the way! Will you finally give up and stop trying to do it all yourself? Your way didn't work, but God's way will if you let go.
God wants to show Himself to you if you will let Him. The Bible says, "What is impossible with man is Possible with God". God never stops calling you. He is always trying to get your attention. He loves you that much. He will wait on you and never force His love upon you. He is good and full of Mercy. He forgives your sins and forgets them when we come to Him and confess those sins before Him.
God knows what you are going through. He has suffered more than any man will ever suffer. Haven't you been through enough? Don't you think it is time to let go and say, "What else do I have to lose, I've tried everything else and it failed." Step out of your comfort zone and out of all the fear. Stand up and try something new. Try God’s way and see what He will do for you. That is all He is asking today. He tells us to trust Him and He will make our pathway straight. We were never meant to carry such loads by ourselves. We were meant to enjoy our lives and have peace in knowing that God has it all under control. Let Him take away the ashes of your life and show you the beauty that is waiting just ahead. He loves you! Just call out His name! Then, Out of Your Ashes, Beauty Will Rise!
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