He Gives Beauty for Ashes

Isaiah 61 : 1 - 3, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." NKJV

In the town where we live, there is a vacant building that is undergoing a transformation. It blesses me to watch the progress the workers have made because the empty building is being restored and filled with purpose once again. In Ecclesiastes, we're told that God makes all things beautiful in its time. Therefore, I suppose the time has come for that old building to be made new again.

We all go through various stages and seasons in our lives. Consequently, this word may find you entering a time when it seems that everything in your life is unraveling at the seams. On the other hand, you may have been in a situation similar to that of Job in the Bible, and God is making all things new to you again. You may have been in that place of bondage for many years, and the Lord has moved to give you a new lease on life. Our God is in the work of redemption.  

It's not significant where we find ourselves in life; however, it is vitally important that we allow the Lord to work in our hearts to restore us back to His original plan. As horrible as sin and its consequences are on us who live in this world, God's redemptive power is even greater. When God performs a work of redemption in someone's life, which others said would never be worth the time or investment, there is a sense of value and validation that emerges from that person's heart. Why? They have experienced first-hand the love of God.

When God looked upon fallen man and the destruction that had come upon us, He still loved us and saw us as redeemed, even though we may not have seen ourselves as worthy. If we will just move on past the place of brokenness and allow God's love and power to restore us, then we will receive from the Lord the strength we need to live the redeemed life. Too many times, Christians fall into a performance mindset, and, consequently, try to live a perfect life. However, God wants us to love and appreciate Him for giving us a redeemed life. When we look at our life through the lens of redemption, it will cause us to be thankful and humble so that God gets the glory for a life well lived.

We've all sinned and fallen short of God's glory, but not from His infinite love. If your life is in need of redemption today, just turn the controls over to the Lord. Give Him your heart; He will begin its renovation and give you a fresh outlook on life. You will have more hope in your heart than you ever thought was possible. If your dreams have been reduced to ashes, won't you give them to Jesus and allow Him to give you beauty?

A Work in Progress,
Pastor Asa Dockery